Heroes and Thieves
by SonataForMyOverdosedLover
Summary: Leonardo said that assassins and thieves don't mix.But they were not just that. He could do nothing but become a hero and she was meant to be the shadow of bad omens. He was not prepared to meet her; not then,not ever. But he would have missed her, still
1. Better Hero

I have started to write this story now but I fear it may suffer some changes in the future because I don't really feel at ease playing and changing history, a thing which the game does in some perspectives. That is also why you might find some aspects of the game also changed. I have no idea for how long I will update the story or how often – the feedback might also influence the updating board. In the meanwhile have a good reading with the first chapter.

Assassin's Creed II © Ubisoft.

* * *

_**Capitolo uno**_

* * *

He lowered his head trying to overcome the sensation of dizziness. Looking at the crowd of people acclaiming, whistling and swearing made him feel so inside-out, the entire body numb, only the cold drops of sweat crawling painfully from his temples to his chin.

He tried to shift his right shoulder to put in motion the nerves in his arm. That's how he felt the knots at his wrists. He shook his head to make it easier to breathe. Ha, such sweet irony. In the end the rough rope had the very precise function of taking his last breath. With his head down he looked at his feet. He should have taken the red boots this morning… they were more eccentric and had he known he'd end up in this position he would have at least deserved to die in a proper attire. And the planks were old and putrefied. It must have been at cause of the rain and the bloodshed all over the years, said blood penetrating the wood and painting it permanently. At least the blood was red, one of his favourite colours….ah, this damned sun…would it have killed them to at least carry the execution at dawn? Dying in the middle of the day wasn't half as artistic as he expected his death to be. He shyly looked to his right. And dying among two other poor people that were probably caught stealing a piece of bread wasn't helping his ego either.

Oh well, today wasn't Leonardo's day at all. He felt the planks lower under the weight of the hangman. He took a deep breath… as deep as the choker allowed him anyway. Leonardo looked once again through his lashes at the bunch of people gathered to watch the execution. For an instant he thought he saw a glimpse of white hood and if his eyes weren't playing sadistic tricks on him, salvation surely took his time to make an appearance. He wanted to search the crowds one more time but the sound of rusty metal reached his ears and his eyes went wide in horror as the ground under him vanished. The grip on his neck was sudden and so powerful that he saw glowing light for an instant. From his studies he perceived that soon after that everything would turn deep black and the lack of oxygen would start doing strange things to his mind. Sure, the black was there but the unexpected thing was that he still possessed the capacities to clearly distinguish the noises around him. And the most powerful was of such a familiar voice thundering over the rest, swearing and throwing anger. When he thought that no matter how much he would stretch to feel new ground under his feet was futile, he realised that the blackness didn't last as much as he believed. The powerful force that was keeping him above the surface vanished and his knees bent at the contact with solid ground. In his weak state, going back between reality, nausea, and the black dots appearing in his eyes he felt a piece of long material being thrown over his head and shoulders and a relatively slender but firm arm circling around his back from under his left arm.

'Hold on and try to keep up the pace.'

Slowly his vision was coming back and he thought whoever this individual was his intervention was early enough for him to regain control over his body and mind. He would have bothered to put the low whisper with a face from his memory but right now he was struggling to keep balance under the forceful thrusts of bodies colliding with him from all directions. He heard a woman in the crowd yelling murder and judging by the violent pushes, the people were trying to run from the crime scene with their souls attached to their bodies. Soon the hits ceased and he could allow more air into his lungs; as much air as a frenetic run would allow him. The person next to him must have felt his recovered powers and stopped playing as his support; taking a step ahead hos savior punched in the stomach the guard standing in the alley they were about to step in. It was not the black hooded cape or the whispered voice threatening him not to lose the sight of it that put all the pieces of the puzzle back in Leonardo's head but the way in which the cape was running like a shadow along the line of the buildings, knocking to the ground any possible danger from Leonardo's way. When the shadow went around the corner, the body of an agonising guard fell over him and Leonardo, being as he was, a gentleman, he gently put the man down.  
'_Mi dispiace signore_.' As he was making sure that the body didn't receive any other injury than the fist over his nape he saw the cape reappearing at the cross of roads and the slightest irritation was showing in the carrier's voice.

'Leonardo!'

So maybe it wasn't the time to be polite but he really couldn't help it. Leonardo caught up with his savior and wasn't surprised at all to find himself guided back down the road to his home. When the shadow suddenly disappeared he didn't stop from running. He wasn't surprised when there were no guards outside the house or when he found his lock picked and the door cracked open. He pushed it forward, slipped inside and locked it back. He stopped, and with his hands on the door, he took a breath.

'Are you alright? Let me see your neck.'

Leonardo jumped and turned around a little taken aback even if he knew he wasn't alone in the house. He didn't really have the chance to respond when the figured approached him from the shadows and started to work at the knot of the rope still hanging by his neck.

'Oh dear, I have completely forgot about it.'

While the knot came loose like a simple thread under the pair of skillful hands he couldn't see the face from under the hood but he knew that a smile was there by the way the head was shaking.

'Those are the kind of things that you shouldn't get used to, Leonardo.'

'Never mind that, what are you doing in Florence?' Leonardo couldn't contain his joy at seeing such an old friend and as that he threw his arms to hug the body hiding under the many layers of clothes. The hug was returned, not with the same excess of enthusiasm whatsoever, but a sincere hug nevertheless.

'Saving your life, apparently.' The voice was betraying familiarity now and the faded chuckle was a reason of comfort for Leonardo also.

He let go and pulled down the cloak that not long ago had been thrown over him for protection.

'Ah, I would have been saved anyway.'

'A minute too late, yes. Your friend should make sure he can pull off with all kind of unexpected situation rather than playing the last moment epic rescue.'

Leonardo watched with amusement as his old acquaintance crossed the arms and shifted the weight on one leg.

'Said the pot to the kettle.'

'I didn't goof around. I ran to the place as soon as I –.' But the words were interrupted by Leonardo's laughter. He knew wrong judgment was like poking a nest of wasps for this person and he always enjoyed taunting his friends. But soon he changed the subject, realisation knocking at him.

'Oh, so I saw right. He was there.' And he wondered if from under the black hood he was receiving incredulous looks or he was being watched with narrowed eyes in annoyance. Maybe his morbid jokes weren't much appreciated.

'Anyhow, you still haven't answered my question. What brings you around this city? Or to me if that's the case; and do not answer me with lines along seeing old friends because you let your presence known only if you are in need of something.' He made a pause. 'And friendship is never on the list.'

'Thank you for the humanity integrity speech you just made on me. Fine; not to beat it around the bushes, I came here in hopes you would save me with a piece of something I have. But given the conditions in which I found you, you should take a rest and I'll come back later.'

Leonardo half listened to the words, half concentrated on the voice he hadn't heard in years. It was a tread that it had acquired probably under years of… professional work; talking in a low voice, at times whispered even in a situation like this, when the two of them were the only ones in the room.

'Nonsense! You know that working with you brings much delight. It's much more relaxing than actually trying to relax; the fret is bound to stop sooner or later. So, what do you have for me?' Despite all the events from the last hours he knew that trying to explain how it all lead to this was a useless thing to do since probably it was already known by the figure in front of him. Plus, he deeply enjoyed the challenges that his friend would always bring.

The figure stood still, analysing the situation and, after a short nod, brought a hand under the cape taking out what seemed to be a golden tube. Once the hand opened, it revealed to be an astounding criptex, engraved with finical details. Leonardo's face transformed into a mirror of delight as he waited no longer to grab his new attention taker.

'This…this is brilliant! Where did you find this?' he moved to the table to light some candles in order to have a better look.

'I…. borrowed it.'

Leonardo took a second to look full of sarcasm over his shoulder at the silhouette.

'Of course you did.'

'Of course I did.'

The smirk on the face could not be seen but it could clearly be heard.

'I am usually good at this, but it's not in any language I would know. And from the way it sounds there's some sort of liquid inside. I was afraid to play too much with the code in case something would activate and destroy whatever is hidden within.'

'Yes, it does look like some sort of mechanism. Better be careful. I wonder how old this thing is.' But his last question was already some sort of self-conversation. The figure approached him and watched the criptex over the man's shoulder. Then it moved along the table at a slow pace, no sounds coming from the steps.

'So, what happened since the last time I called on this place?'

'I wouldn't know when you last stepped in Florence but I could say that all the madness started since the Auditore incident.'

'Auditore?' the figure stopped in its tracks and looked over the shoulder, for the first time the voice rising in interest. "As in Giovanni Auditore?"

'Ah, you heard of him?' Leonardo stopped his examination for a second, only to restart after he received a confirmation.

'I know of him.'

'Knew.' Leonardo corrected with a hint of sadness in his voice.

'Pardon?'

'He's dead.' When the cape fully turned he knew it was demanding for an explanation. 'He was killed years ago. Executed for treachery. Of course it was a conspiracy against him. He was innocent and probably one of the most loyal men to Medici.'

He heard a sneer from the end of the table and he realised that maybe loyalty wasn't such a good subject at the moment. But beside this, the sudden turn of the figure and the silent walk that was retaken were signs that the news weren't exactly pleasant. The voice confirmed it as it was filled with reminiscence and disbelief. 'But the cape-'

'That was his second son – Ezio. He is the one wearing it now. After the murder of his father he decided to follow in his footsteps as an Assassin to revenge his death.'

After a moment of silent thoughts, the figure approached Leonardo again as if remembering something. 'What about his first son?'

'Well, when the guards came to arrest them they had time to hide his wife and daughter. Later, Ezio managed to get the two of them out of city to safety. They took Signore Giovanni and his eldest and youngest sons to prison and executed them the next day. Ezio was lucky to be out on that evening.' While Leonardo looked back at the criptex he still managed to catch the only reaction of the shadow. It might have looked like any other informational discussion, without a single flinch from the figure, but the tighten fist didn't escape Leonardo's eyes.

'Can you make something of it?'

Feeling like a burden had been lifted by the change of subject, Leonardo scratched his chin.

'Well, I am pretty sure I can decode it but I really need some proper time.'

'If time is all you need I might be able to give it to you. If this thing proves productive enough I might concentrate on its outcome.'

The man couldn't keep himself from smiling at the choice of words. Always the cryptic one since they were at it. But knowing this person for quite a long time he knew how to mix the overly elevated discourse with the etiquette-less meanings of thievery and profaning.

'You know, you can take that hood down. It's just the two of us here and since I haven't seen you in years I am rather curious of how time has made a mark on you.'

There was again a moment of silence like many others that day but it was soon followed by a sigh.

'I might be forced to flee soon and I don't like taking chances. Don't worry I am not hurrying anywhere out of town.' It was a taunt what had Leonardo read in the soft voice.

'You grew up since I last caught a glimpse of you. Still some inches shorter than me though….thankfully.'

'Don't even think about giving me the proper appearance discourse Leonardo.'

'Well, considering your origins, instead of playing shadows you should really try to act more like a lad-'

His words were interrupted when the door opened forcefully. Before Leonardo had the chance to recognise the person who had broken into his house a shadow passed in front of him and in an instant was out through the window and up on the building.

'Wait! Shiva! He's a friend!' But it was too late. The figure was already out of sight. He turned to face Ezio and then he looked at the table. The criptex was also gone.

'Are you alright!' Leonardo watched him lowering his hood and taking heavy breaths. He felt a little ashamed for practically forgetting about him. The Assassin must have had quite some fight with the guards and a good run to his house.

'I am….fine.' He let his body fall into a chair, for the first time realising the things he had been through in just one day.

After a quick check, Ezio was glad to see that indeed his friend was in one piece. Relaxing a bit he huffed and nonchalantly pointed with his hand to the window.

'Who was that boy anyway?'

Leonardo looked at him with a blank expression for quite some seconds, giving Ezio the impression that maybe he had been hallucinating all this time.

Then, half in confusion, half in amusement Leonardo asked:

"What boy?"

* * *

~~ End of Chapter 1~~

Author is left to starve. Treat her some feedback *flirty eyes*


	2. Stealing much more than you can take

Assassin's Creed II © Ubioft

* * *

_**Capitolo due**_

* * *

He double-checked. And he was for sure under the impression that Leonardo was mocking him at the moment. He had seen the guy into action, making his way with Leonardo out of the crowd once the rope was cut. He did not know if he was a friend or foe but at that precise moment any other place was better for Leonardo that the agitated crowd and killing guards. And then he saw him again in the room when he entered, even if to Ezio it seemed to be only for a flash of second. The guy surely moved faster than an untrained eye could follow.

'The guy that just flew out through the window; was he a friend of yours?'

'Ah, Shiva?' Leonardo smiled amused. 'Yes, an old friend that you just scared away.' Words soon followed by a melancholic sigh. 'And the cryptex is gone too.'

'Shiva? What kind of name is that?'

'Eccentric isn't it? Strange parents must they have been to give their baby such a name. Shiva is the name of a god in some sort of oriental culture.'

Ezio finally managed to regain his breath and fully relax.

'He must have been the joke of the kids with such a wimpy name.'

Leonardo really enjoyed this as he continued to stare in silence and amusement. 'Well, I can't contradict you that it's rather an unusual name but…I am sure _he_ lived.'

Ezio had no idea what he was hinting at, being much more concerned over the problem at hand. 'I am terribly sorry for what you've been through. The city still rots with followers of Uberto**,** but I am going to talk about this with Lorenzo as soon as I can.'

'Ah, don't worry. I have always been troubled by those guys but it seems that now they got a reason to act on it.'

The assassin knew what he was talking about and felt a string of guilt growing on him. He'll make sure that his friend was safe no matter what.

'I'll be going then. If there is something I can help you with…'

'Ah, nothing at all, my friend. It's not like I can send you hunting around _Firenze_ after Shiva. There will be a next time.'

Ezio narrowed his eyes confident.

'I can look for the boy if that's what you wish.'

'Don't bother Ezio, Sh_hh_….iva can't be found if he doesn't wish so. We better let him come back on his own because if he finds out that you've been scooping around the city for him he might as well consider not returning at all.'

Ezio couldn't suppress a disbelieving look at his artist friend but he eventually nodded and put a hand on his shoulder.

'I'll take my leave then. _A rivederci, amico__**.' **_He put his hood back and walked out of the room. Closing the door after him he looked down the road to his left. He wondered it that fellow was truly as good as Leonardo said. From what he had caught of him he looked quite average,_ if_ barely in his early twenties. He was tall to be over 17 but his body wasn't that well-built. By the way the cape fell Ezio bet he had a thin body. He would have been an easy target in a fight. As he stepped in the weak sunlight of the evening he remembered that he hadn't asked Leonardo an important question. _What was he?_ He remembered the cape. _Was he an assassin? _He hurried his steps. Either way he had much more immediate problems to solve.

* * *

Three days later Ezio found himself knocking again at Leonardo's door. He stepped inside to be received by perfect silence. It was dawn and the hot temperatures were already gone, to be slowly replaced by the cold of the night.

'Leonardo?'

The candles were lighted on the table and the atelier was partially illuminated by the warm light of the gas candles.

'_Buona sera caro mio_!' Ezio turned around to see Leonardo descending the wooden staircase from his room into the atelier. He was relatively happy for a usual evening. 'I was about to open a bottle of wine. Would you have a glass with me?'

Ezio lingered his eyes a moment longer on the ceiling entrance to the upper level, but then he fully turned to Leonardo. 'How could I refuse such an appealing invitation?'

He went ahead to meet his friend at the table. He lowered his white hood to expose the full grin.

'What are you so happy about, my friend?' Leonardo asked as he grabbed two glasses from the end of the table, turning them with their mouths up and cleaning the desk of his papers.

'I had a little encounter with Paola's girls around your corner. It seems they quite enjoy the spot.'

'I'd like to hope it was just a chance encounter but by that sly grin of yours I doubt it.'

'Oh, how can you think such of me? I promise you - nothing went further than words. If I wouldn't know you better I'd say there is a hint of jealousy that I read in your voice.'

'Very amusing Ezio; very amusing." Leonardo couldn't help rolling his eyes at which his friend barked a raw of laughers.

'On a more serious note,' he added taking his glove off 'I have talked to Lorenzo. The guards won't bother you anymore. And I made sure to silence the mouths of those who acted on their own against you.'

While expecting a response from Leonardo he felt a shiver go down his spine when a low, grave voice came from the emptiness of the room.

'At least you clean after your own mess.'

Ezio spun forcefully to search for the owner of the voice but at first sight there seemed to be no one there. One second later he though his eyes played tricks on him because where once was thin air a dark figure emerged from the shadows of the room. He winded his eyes in recognition; the black hood he had seen not days ago.

'There you were, Shiva! We would appreciate it very much if you would join us like any other normal person would and not scare the death out of us.'

Ezio watched the figure nod and slowly approach them into as much light as the room was offering. His eagle eyes started to register every detail of the person. He was all dressed in black, with high leather boots and a strange cape encircling his body. It looked as if it was made of two pieces of cloths, one longer underneath reaching his ankles and laced in front of his right shoulder and another one dressed in leather, shortening probably somewhere over his back and covering just one of the shoulders, long just to reach his hip. Much more he couldn't see; just the black colour of his trousers and he would have bet that the rest of his clothes were also black. Though, what annoyed him was the hood that was long enough to keep his entire face in complete darkness. As predicted, his body wasn't much. He wondered how old he really was and the assassin doubted that he had any muscles at all on his bones.

The figure passed by him with a slow gesture of his head as if he was studying him as well. Then he turned to Leonardo.

'Here.' He brought the hand up and gave Leonardo the unusual tube he had been babbling about that day. He gave it a closer look out of curiosity but unlike Leonardo, all soul and spirit for artifacts and mechanisms, his interests laid somewhere else. Even if he tried not to consider the cape's words, the distant feeling he was giving showed off arrogance and Ezio had a hunch it was all directed towards him.

'I was able to make some research on the symbols so it should be easier now.' Leonardo put the cryptex on the table and grabbed some scrolls that he had previously pushed aside. 'Ah, and the papers we left upstairs!' But before he had the chance to move towards the stairs Ezio watched the figure putting a hand over his chest and with the other one talking something out from under his cape.

Leonardo smiled. 'Clever.' He took them and turned full attention to the object on the table.

'Please Shiva, would you be a dear and take a bottle of wine for us? I did promise to serve you and Ezio but my hands are already full. Ezio, have a seat.'

He couldn't place it but something in Leonardo's words made him feel uncomfortable. Maybe it was childish from his part but he thought that he felt a little disappointed by the change of roles. He would have thought Leonard and he were familiar enough to be treated as such, but it seemed that this fellow who had just appeared out of nowhere in Florence had an upper hand regarding closure with Leonardo. He watched the guy with the corner of his eyes but nonetheless did as instructed and made himself comfortable in one of the nearby chairs, legs resting on another one in front of him.

'So what is that?'

'Something that Shiva brought to me. It's of extreme interest as it is written in a code I have never come across. I have been trying some methods and encoding these days but I did not reach a perfect result.'

'You're the master. You'll figure it out.' He considered another topic. 'Where did he get it from?' The figure stopped abruptly and turned his head to the conversation. _Had he said something wrong?_

'Good question.' Leonardo remarked humorously remembering he still had no answer to that question.

The black cape took a bottle of red wine from the shelf and looked at it.

'One of the lords I _visited _had no real need of it. And he was kind enough to let me borrow it… for as long as I wanted.'

Ezio didn't like the tone in the voice and arched a suspicious eyebrow.

'That's an elegant way of saying that you took the liberty of breaking into some gentleman's house to pick whatever caught your attention.'

'For your information, mountains of money don't make you a gentleman; you need other skills. And secondly – once you see such a heavy security around something, it's bound to be something big.'

Why would he try to fake his voice and keep talking in a low husky tone? It was way too deep for a boy his age. Something about it was strange. He watched the fellow turn around to them and spun the bottle in his hands. He definitely wasn't older than early twenty; 18 – 19 perhaps. He was slender and he moved smoothly; and he was shorter than him, maybe a head shorter.

'You should really act your age.' Leonardo sighed.

Ezio looked back at the figure gripping the mouth of the bottle and opening it with a blade like needle that as soon as it appeared in his hand the same way it vanished. He brought the bottle to his mouth and whilst he drunk Ezio was able to distinguish a firm chin and the outline of a short straight nose. His neck was covered with a black scarf. He put the cork back to the bottle and came close enough to him to let it fall into his lap.

…and he had no manners.

Leonardo did not look at them but was aware of the gestures.

'Shiva, you should really watch your manners. Ezio is still a noble.'

Ezio didn't look up but from his right, the deep voice did funny things to his back again.

'I am not contagious.' He moved some steps away looking at the projects Leonardo had hanging on a wall. 'I'm not sure for him though.'

Ezio snapped his head over his shoulder to send him a glare. Damn, he had better things to do than getting angry over some kid's words. He approached the table and poured wine in the two glasses.

'So I get you're a thief.' Ezio was not a patient man so he was done observing. He decided to confront him directly.

'That's a usual name I get from common people, yes.' The kid was seriously starting to get on his nerves.

'Enlighten me. What would you rather be called?'

The cape spun around as he faced him. Good; he got him fired up. With this result he leaned on the table and crossed his arms.

'There is no name to call me by.'

'Why don't you get that hood down? Your face can't be that bad. And no one is going to laugh if you have a pimple or two.' He was met by a heavy silence accompanied by the whispers and papers of Leonardo, who was obviously not paying attention to any of this. 'How old are you, boy?'

And again more silence. But something was different. The boy snapped his head upwards and turned to the man towering over the table.

'Leonardo?'

But the man refused to acknowledge him. He stubbornly continued to work on his papers, somehow even more assiduity, pretending he wasn't hearing his name being called in a tone of indignation. If things were strange until now for Ezio, for sure they were fishy onwards. The cape sighed and shook its head. 'How can you do this to me?'

The figure hid the hands under the cape and walked around the room. Ezio let the empty glass next to Leonardo's untouched one and pushed himself up. He had a feeling that both of them were hiding something from him.

'It may be just my imagination but…do you have something against me?'

He watched him move about slowly and then he side-glanced at Leonardo. In that fraction of second he lost sight of it.

'What the…' he couldn't resist not to mutter in his chin. When he turned around, as much of a man as he was, he jumped a little at finding the guy right behind him. He approached and in this awkward vicinity Ezio noticed that maybe the guy wasn't a head shorter than himself. Some two inches taller perhaps. The figure stepped back and circled him, like a wolf would circle its pray. Then he stepped away as if his interest was lost. He stopped by a wooden pillar and rested its back on it, arms folded under the cape. He looked for some moments at Leonardo then lowered his head waiting in silence. All these years taught Ezio how to read a human body and this clearly meant the conversation was over. He let out a sigh. The atmosphere was too tense for his liking. When he was about to turn his attention to Leonardo he held his words.

'I don't appreciate people who put in danger the life of a friend of mine.'

This surely, he hadn't expected. And truthfully, the guy's attitude was really getting at him. He felt like snapping a 'do you even have friends?' comment but considered against it.

'Come again?'

The figure hasn't even bothered enough to look up while addressing to him.

'To think you even call yourself a _Hassassin_. He was going to be hanged under the accusation of plotting with a criminal. If you can't keep the danger away from the people that know you, you are nothing but a joke to the Assassins.'

Ezio felt his eyes widen in shock and in the same time anger building inside of him. This snotty dared to judge and teach him how to be an assassin.

His jaw clenched and he took a step forward ready to give the punk a piece of his mind.

'You are reckless and you lack patience. And like a spoiled noble as you claim to be you rather screw your mission with your flamboyant style than being safe and practical. You are nothing like Giovanni.'

In his race to get his neck Ezio froze. 'You knew my father?' But there was no answer. 'What do you know about Assassins? Are you one of them?'

'I have nothing in common with the Assassins; all I know is what I've learned from various sources. As for your father, I met him a couple of times. From what I gathered, last time I meet him it was about a year before his death.'

Ezio was deeply confused, anger put to sleep. How…old was this individual?

'How well did you know him? What was your relation with him?'

He felt the silence heavier with each second.

Then the shadow snorted. 'I knew him well enough to expect more from his son than chasing legs the day he was arrested for execution.'

That was the point when Ezio saw red in front of him and launched to punch the boy to the floor. But once again the game of words the cape was playing stopped his attack.

'Before acting on instincts like a beast you should consider the situation. Even if you attack me it won't change the fact that my words spoke the truth.'

'What do you even know, you piece of- ' he was one step away from his neck when Leonardo's amazed voice echoed in the atelier.

'_Santa Maria del cielo!'_

Not just Ezio stopped in his tracks but even the dark cape jumped from the wall and took an alerted position.

'_Ma che cosa_! Unbelievable!'

Then the artist turned almost livid to the others. He looked at them as if just now the things that had happened behind his back reached his ears. And with a shy, pitying expression he tried a joke that even to him sounded more like a terrible curse.

'I am afraid that no matter what animosity you have for each other you are bound to spend more time together that you have planned to.'

'What foolishness are you talking about, Leonardo?' Whatever this was about, Ezio wanted done with it as soon as possible. But it seemed Leonardo didn't pay him any attention.

'Shiva… when was the last time you heard news of Signor Giovanni?'

'What?' The question took by surprise both of them.

'When was the last time you spoke with him? Or heard word from him? And more importantly…where exactly did you get this from?' Leonardo stepped aside to let them see the now opened cryptex.

The figure looked frenetically from the cryptex to the artist, apparently much more confused than Ezio.

'As I said before it has been years! I haven't had a word from him since we last meet in_ Napoli_. What does anything of this have to do with the cryptex?'

Ezio was having his own problems in understanding what was going on, but he felt a sudden agitation coming from the hooded person, given away by the way he was raising his arm to point at the table.

Leonardo put a hand to his forehead trying to find the proper words. It wasn't necessary for him to invite them to have a look because both of them were already on their way.

'How to put this… are you sure you stumbled accidentally over this...thing?'

'Of course I am! The owner was a powerful merchant from North Italy and while I was scooping around his house I found it in a secret compartment. It was out of pure temptation that I took it!'

Leonardo sighed and he wanted to gently give the scroll he had found in the cryptex but it was already snacked from his hand. He sighed at the violence both of them were exercising.

'As you can see this paper is too small to be the original content of the cryptex; and it was also written some good centuries later than the cryptex itself…."

The figure stretched the piece of paper and held a breath. The note was relatively recently written and it was also encoded. But the full attention was gripped by the symbol at the beginning of it.

'Hassassins.' It was just a whisper but loud enough for all the men in the room to hear.

Leonardo moved a little abashed and looked at another paper on the table.

'I don't want you to react to my words but…. Isn't there the slightest chance that …maybe…Signor Giovanni tried to contact you? Or expected you to come to Florence?'

'What? NO! I am absolutely sure of it.' The note and the event sent Ezio in a famishing desire to know what the hell was going on but he couldn't help not to feel the vibration of irritation mixed with new anger and insecurity coming from the shifting tonality in the hissing of the figure trapped between him and Leonardo. 'If he had tried to contact me I would have known!'

For Leonardo things were just getting more complicated. 'The thing is…I also managed to decode the note. It was relatively simple and at a closer look I am sure you would be able to figure it out too. This is the message.' He handed away the paper.

The cape took a moment to look at the artist before lowering its head to read out loud the content of the paper.

'Hands quick enough to pick this up and minds clever enough to read it now may forgive me for depriving them of enjoyment at the sight of the original treasure. Though, I am sure they will enjoy my little mind game added to the finder. I am confident that being the right person you will know where to come looking for it and it is my sincere hope it will not be too late to meet again, if I dare wish, under proper conditions for a change. Regardless the time you'll come after your reward, I am planning to entrust you with something of much more value to me than you will be searching for.

Value safety over free run,

G.A.'

Ezio picked up the original scroll and stopped himself from growling in frustration.

'This is my father's writing.'

'Impossible!' The figure threw the note on the table and spun around. 'I came across this thing by accident! It could have been anyone else in my place.' He took some steps to have more space and started to take rounds like a caged fox. 'Are you implying that Signor Giovanni deliberately waited for a chance in a million for this to lay into my hands? I have no information of him trying to contact me. And Leonardo, you are smarter than this! He must have written the message for one of his collaborators.' The voice stopped but the agitated moves didn't. It looks like he was settled on giving another explanation to it.

'Shiva…' Leonardo made a pause to make the figure pay attention to him. 'The original code of the cryptex was changed. I opened it by using your name.'

For Ezio the events of the evening had happened too fast; but not fast enough not to realise what he wanted...what he _needed_ to know in order to clear all this misery that he had to taste for the past 20 minutes.

He stepped away from the table and got closer to the petrified cape. Facing it, he cleared his throat with a demanding, blank tone.

"Who – are you?"

* * *

~~End of chapter 2~~


	3. When body & mind have diferent opinions

**a.n.:** This is the chapter where things spice up a bit… in more than one way ;)) On a side note in this chapter I will introduce Salai. And for those who have heard of him I have to make some clarifications: I know that Gian Giacomo Caprotti da Oreno also known as Salai appeared much later, in 1490, to work as Leonardo's pupil but I used him in this fic as he is a representative figure in Leonardo's personal way, may you enjoy this chapter that I really had fun writing. I discovered that an uncomfortable Ezio is an interesting Ezio to write about :)

Assassin's Creed II © Ubisoft.

* * *

_**Capitolo tre**_

* * *

It was beyond Ezio's power of comprehension how this figure evaded past his left with nonchalance almost irresponsible, throwing him a vague response.

'I have already told you everything you need to know.'

If everything he had to know had been already said than he had every right to be angry and act as such. He spun rapidly not to lose sight of the cape.

Ezio eyed him as he approached the table and took the opened cryptex. He turned it in his gloved hands and fixed his eyesight to the ground.

'If…. _If _you are right, and Giovanni left this message for me, it means that I have right over whatever was in this cryptex. And if he hid it' the black hood raised to watch Ezio in the eyes 'I know exactly where to find it.'

The man narrowed his eyes. He didn't enjoy the idea one bit.

'If the object is in my father's house it means it belongs to our family. And even so what makes you think that I am going to invite you there to _take_ it? That and the house is still guarded by men. Only that this time they are not looking for me but waiting for the traitors of my family to make a move. You can't get past them and even so, I won't allow you to get your dirty hands of a thief on something that belongs to _my family_.'

Leonardo took a step back as the cape practically flew to his friend. This definitely wasn't the best start of a win-win collaboration.

'You listen here. I believe you did not understand me correctly. I came here to take whatever was in that cryptex. The moment I get my hands on it I'll be out of this city before you'll even have the time to blink twice. And you are not the one to stop me.'

'Now hold on a minute!'

The cape retreated and with sure steps he went up the staircase. No long after this all that Ezio could hear was the sound of an opening window and he was sure that the figure had been already swallowed by the night.

Angry and, why not, frustrated he turned to Leonardo.

'What the hell was that? If you claim that this fellow is you friend shouldn't you have stopped him?'

The artist sighed and kneaded his eyes.

'Shiva… is a peculiar individual. Stubborn –yes; hard to work – yes; but never with bad intentions. All of this must have been a shock for everyone. Shiva probably needed to think things clearly more than actually going to raid your house.' He paused and tried an ironic smile towards Ezio. 'Though, my best guess is that he will go for the action; if not before the sun comes up then tomorrow night for sure.'

'And you expect me to let him do as he pleases? It's my father's house we are talking about; my families values! And what is all this about? How does he know my father? Was he a friend or a foe of him?'

'Wait for Shiva to come back and explain everything to you. I am sure that whatever he might found he'll come back even if just to settle everything up.'

'But this is –'

And the fact that Leonardo trailed on without listening to him irked Ezio even more.

'You… may not like what I have to say... but, and I don't want to rush things or make false presumptions: both of you might have to work on this together. I have a feeling, from the words that I have read, that your father might have had a plan involving Shiva – probably related to whatever he has found in the cryptex. He wouldn't have allured Shiva this close to _Firenze_ otherwise. And maybe, now that' at which point his voice softened "he is dead, it's your turn to find what he wanted with Shiva and work with…him.'

Ezio sighed; he tried to be rational about this even if he was boiling inside.

'Fine! I'll go look for him and settle everything up.'

He didn't wait for Leonardo to protest; he put the hood back on, arranged the glove and stepped out of the house.

'Haven't you listened to a thing from what I said? You won't find him no matter how long you'll search!'

But he was already out of sight.

Leonardo locked the door and muttered to himself disapprovingly.

'Shiva can't be seen if she doesn't want to.'

* * *

Ezio leaned on the wooden pillar and crossed his arms. He was currently watching the inner court of his house, resting on the roof. Leonardo was right. He had searched for this boy for more than 24 hours all over _Firenze_ and not even a glimpse of him. He had even asked the courtesans and the thieves around the city and they were all sure of never setting eyes on such a figure. He would have asked _La Volpe _but he wasn't easy to find either. _La Volpe… _thinking back at it, the way this little boy skipped through the crowds and the way he was encircling the room reminded him of a fox. Maybe, if he'll have the chance to meet _La Volpe _again he should ask him a couple of questions about this Shiva. He must know a thing or two. Either way, all that was left for Ezio to do was to be on guard and wait for this individual to show up at his house. This house…even when things will be clear and the image of Auditore will be cleaned he wasn't sure he could turn back to live in this house ever again. Living with the skeletons in his closet was a thing he wasn't willing to do. He looked down at the door to watch one of the guards yawning so powerful that Ezio wasn't sure how his jaw remained intact; and this is the perfect image of a trustworthy guard. His amusement snapped away as he thought he caught a movement on a nearby rooftop. He narrowed his eyes and tried to distinguish clear forms in the night. Out of instinct he used his eagle vision as he approached the ledge of the roof on the other side of the house. And he stopped. There it was - the glowing form of the cape he had been searching for. When his vision came back to normal he considered himself lucky to have spotted the intruder. The guy blended so well in the dark and moved so silently that Ezio could barely noticed him. He watched the guy descending to a locked window. Ezio recognised the window as the one leading to his father's bedroom. He watched the figure crouch on the crossbeam above the window, grabbing it with his legs, assuring resistance in the knees and leaning backward, arching his back a little to face the window. Ezio leaned on one of his knees to have a better look. The flexibility of the body mesmerised him as the figure grabbed some kind of needles from the pouches of his belt, now visible as the cape was hanging upside down, and started to work with them on the lock. It must have been a matter of seconds until there was a click and with both hands the figure largely opened the window as he brought himself up just to completely back flip again inside the house, without the smallest noise. He was good at what he did; Ezio had to credit him for that. He waited a couple of seconds and gripped the ledge of the roof, letting himself down as well and travel as well to the opened window. Once in front of it he let himself in. It was complete darkness but his eyes could register everything. He advanced to the door when a voice stopped him dead.

'You make as little noise as an elephant trying to tiptoe. I would be surprised if the guards won't come to check the room because of your ungraceful landing.'

Well, almost everything. Instead of facing the figure to his left he leaned an ear to the door to listen – no sound what so ever. Now he turned to look at the figure.

'I believe I did just fine.'

'I, on the other hand, consider you lucky because those guards are practically sleeping on their feet.'

Ezio straightened his back…he couldn't argue on that.

The figure pushed him aside and once again Ezio could see the two needles in action.

'What are you doing here?'

He took his time to answer, listening to the voice. It was a low whisper but each word was clear and so distinctively pronounced that he realised now the reason why he could understand everything so well. It was such a smooth voice and he blamed that precise characteristic for the funny reaction it had over his ears. His eyes narrowed; he surely didn't like the direction of his thoughts.

'Do you believe that I am going to let you break into my house and steal just like that?'

The answer didn't come quickly either. The figure straightened.

'Yes.' And the door was opened. Firstly just a crack in order for the cape to make sure no one was in the corridor, then a little more to let it be swallowed by the darkness of the hall.

_Al diavolo! _Ezio had it right under his nose only to lose it again. How the hell did he do it?

He opened the door a little more to let his own body in the corridor as it was obvious he had no chance to slip through the same crack as the boy did. By the time he had reached his father'_s study room _the door was already unlocked. No wonder the guys downstairs couldn't hear a thing as he himself was in the corridor and his ears heard nothing. He pushed the door. The figure was circling the room and Ezio already knew what he was searching for; and he also knew where to find it.

'How do you know you'll find whatever you are looking for in this room?' Ezio crossed his arms as he whispered.

'I won't.'

His eyes narrowed.

'I've seen enough noble houses to know when they're hiding something. And your father was much too careful to leave something of importance in plain sight… a secret room maybe?'

_Smart._

'And how do you believe you'll find tha-' But Ezio's words froze in his throat as the figure swayed directly to the fireplace to study with his hands the ornamental mantel. Reaching the third plate he gently pushed.

'Found you.'

As the wall of the fireplaces begun to move away Ezio approached the figure.

'How did you know?'

'As careful as they are, nobles remain nobles. And some things, such as secret entrances in the fireplace or behind bookshelves, never change. Your father didn't have a bookshelf big enough to begin with.'

Both of them slipped inside with Ezio last, looking around the place. Last time he entered he was in a hurry and everything that mattered to him at that time was the chest that his father had mentioned. You could see that the place hadn't been cleaned for a long time and things were covered under layers of dust. He came here in order to stop the guy but because of the memories he found himself capable of just following him around. He watched the guy as he circled the chest and crouched to dust away the Assassin crest on it. The figure in front of him was calm and he damned the cape that denied him access to a better read of this person. Not only that he seemed calm but also gentle, almost as if he was paying respected to the objects in this room. Would he be making a mistake if he were to give this individual a chance? Learn what his relation to his father was? Ezio continued to analyse him as he got up and with fluid moves approached the paintings on one of the walls. It was weird actually. Watching the figure almost floating in the room made it hard for him to want to look the other way. His moves were captivating and Ezio asked himself what kind of training one must go through to be able to move like that. He probably started learning at a young age because he was sure that only years of practice would transform you into a perfect shadow. But it was something else about it that didn't settle well with Ezio. The moves were also… alluring and a real man wouldn't be able to pull them off without looking awkward. Looking at him, he started to remind the man of Leonardo's pupil, Salai, and it made him wonder if the cape wouldn't also hide some effeminate features. If that was so, this problem would also raise another question regarding Leonardo. He stated that he was a friend of his. But he showed the same easiness around this guy as he was showing towards Salai. Not to mention that he also spoiled him and protected him no matter how arrogant and harsh he acted. It would make sense; Ezio was perfectly aware of where Leonardo's likings stood… and analysing this peculiar person… he would meet all the standards that Leonardo was looking for. He was definitely young, slim, not very tall but enough to assure effeminate features to his body, and, Ezio had to agree even if he didn't enjoy it one bit, his voice was mesmerising with that low timbre and powerful pronunciation, beautiful to make you match it with a pretty face. So… was his Leonardo's friend? Was he his lover? Looking back, the happy expression that Leonardo had that night, while descending the stairs into the atelier made much more sense to Ezio now. Then he remembered that his father also knew this fellow. He froze. He really needed some sleep because his mind was again going ahead of him. He should really stop thinking about this guy before any more funny thoughts would plague his head.

When he came back from his own thoughts he barely had the time to cover his face and suppress a row of powerful coughs threatening to leave his throat because of the sudden piece of fabric that was thrown his way, rising the dust up in the air and making him swallow it.

'_Pazzo!_ *cough* Do you want to kill me?'

But apparently the figure couldn't care less about him. He looked at the statues that had been hidden under the fabric and picked one up. He turned it in his hands.

'That's some lack of imagination.'

Once Ezio regained his capacity of breathing he approached him.

'What's that?'

'It's a statue of a dancing Shiva.'

'Ah, the god thing you were named after.' Without hesitation Ezio grabbed the statue to have a better look. 'He doesn't look very manly to me, not that the name is helping. When you think of gods it's always an image of Jupiter or Mars that comes into your mind. I already told Leonardo that you must have had a hard childhood with a name like that.'

For the longest seconds the figure stared at him and didn't flinch. Then he snapped the statue out of his hands and there was some sort of annoyance in his voice.

'It's an advise that I give you that you should stop reading a book by its covers. It might get you killed one day. If you must know, Shiva is the god of destruction in the culture he comes from.'

He turned away and concentrated on the statue. For the first time Ezio felt his face grimacing in amusement as the figure just reminded him of a child whose pride had been hurt. For some reason he took pleasure in this new turn of situations. He approached the cape, towering over him from behind and watching the statue over the leathered shadow he made sure that his whisper would escape near the individual's right ear.

'And what do you plan to do with the statue? Take it to admire it each day as an ego polisher?' He smirked.

The figure twitched and spun his face to his right to face the white hood.

'If you think this is a game, then go play your ways on the streets. I am sure they're full of capable women who enjoy your lame flamboyant attitude.' He would have paid attention to his words, really, if it weren't for the unexpected confrontation that the boy took upon him. And Ezio didn't expect his reaction. He swore that under that black hood, hidden in the dark he saw a pair of piercing eyes stare back into his soul. A pair of eyes that reminded him more than ever of the eyes of a fox following its pray in the night. That's when Ezio realised that the guy was right. What the hell was he doing taking pleasure in making him uncomfortable? He was never the kind of the guy to joke in that manner with the same sex. Sure, he was teasing Leonardo from time to time but it had always been about jokes and nothing more. Actually it took him some time to get used with Leonardo's ways as he had always been reticent to homosexuality and it disgusted him at some degree.

Shiva turned the statue and analysed the bottom. He knocked twice and the gloved fingers gripped the edges. He didn't pull but rather searched for something. Then the hand stopped and with a gentle push the lid jumped out of its place. Pushing it away the cape turned the statue up again in order to catch in his hand the content of the secret compartment.

In front of their eyes stood a peculiar piece of what should have been an orb. Made out of a golden material it could have been half of the initial orb if not for the strange way in which it had been parted, following small grooves engraved on the surface.

'What is this?' Ezio stepped closer.

After a moment of silence the figure covered the piece of orb with the glove and with the slyest move it disappear in the folds of the cape.

'Whatever it is it's useless without the other part. The question is….why aren't the two pieces together? I highly doubt that your father hid them in different places. My guess is this is all he hid in this house. That raises another problem: where is the other piece?'

Ezio raised a suspicious eyebrow. The boy's mind worked fast.

'What now, quick hands?'

The black figure stared at him in annoyance then moved away.

'Now I get out of here because there' nothing else that holds my interest.'

As he was stepping out through the door, back into the study room, Ezio followed and got ahead of him. The figure pushed the plate back in order for the wall inside the fireplace to close.

'Give me that piece. It belongs to me.'

'It belonged- now it's mine.'

'Now, listen here! I was patient all this time but if you believe that I am going to let you leave this place without some answers you are mis-'

But before he had the time to finish his words his blood froze as in his anger he had spun way too violently, knocking a candlestick on the desk and consequently down the floor with a heavy thud. He looked back at the figure and he swore if it weren't for the hood he would have been looking at a clenched jaw.

_Maledetto!_ Both looked back at the closing wall as the sound of footsteps was reaching their ears. It was clear that there wasn't any possibility for them to wait for the wall to close, open again and close in time to hide them back in the room. The only chance Ezio was left was to break the window and jump but that would send the guards after them. The figure stepped furiously around the room looking for a way out. Ezio pulled the blade out preparing to shut up the guard when a hand grabbed his armed wrist.

'Put that back.'

And the next second the cape was on top of the desk, jumping to the ceiling and grabbing onto something. Soon some wooden planks from the ceiling leveled down revealing a door. The figure grabbed the ledge of the entrance and lifted itself up, disappearing above the ceiling. When Ezio believed that he had run away an arm extended, the black hood appearing again.

'Grab my hand! What the hell are you waiting for, an invitation?' The words were still being spoken when he launched, helping himself up. Ezio was surprised that there was an entrance in the ceiling but he soon discovered that his disbelief was with reasons. The space was so tight that he had to crawl over the boy's body and in the small space between the boy and the actual roof he barely managed to turn around to face the same way as the one beneath him. And he profoundly regretted it. Not only that he was literally laying on top of the boy, he had to sustain himself in hands and feet not to crush him underneath – said hands on sides of the small body and one of his legs between Shiva's. This was the kind of situation he decided to avoid that night; or at all with this boy. And the fact that Shiva was currently rubbing against him in his way to close the trap back after them wasn't helping either. Oh-o-!

_Merda! _Ezio panicked and in an instance he glued his back to the wood of the roof. This…this was _sooooo_ not happening to him. He closed his eyes as tight as he could and filled his mouth with every vulgar swear that crossed his mind, seriously considering jumping down and face an army of guards than having to endure this. Why him? In his darkest thoughts he wouldn't have considered being turned on by another guy. Somewhere under him he heard the sound of a door opening and cautionary steps being taken. Ezio felt the boy's left arm going down his hip under the cape probably for a weapon in case it was needed; the bad part was that his hand also passed by Ezio's hip. _Cazzo! _He put his lips in a thin line trying to keep himself from voicing his words and hoping that the guy beneath him wouldn't feel anything strange. He seriously needed to calm down. Slowly he let out the longest, silent sigh. Damn body! And damn exhaustion! He never thought his tired body would ever betray him in such a way. It was his own damn fault for searching for such a long time for this sly individual without considering his own limits. Ezio tried to calm himself by blaming everything on exhaustion. The guard patrolled in the room and probably picked the candlestick. There might have been some questions in his head about what had happened but no plausible answer could be confirmed. While trying to focus on the sounds on the lower level Ezio couldn't stop from blaming his lack of attention to his surroundings. His face was right above the hooded shoulder and he could now notice the beguiling smell of the other person. _Since when did he start smelling young boys? _Ezio definitely wasn't himself that night. But he couldn't get it out of his mind. Uncontrollably, he lowered his face. It wasn't perfume. It was simply a body's odour. The smell of warm skin combined with leather. Most of the time he would call it sweat, and he would have gladly accepted a typical sweat coming from a man than this joke. Do all youngsters smell so enticing when sweating? Ezio promised himself to go and smell Salai when he'll have the chance, as wrong as that sounded at that moment but it was his only escape to sanity. This boy should really start to grow up and smell like a proper man rather than confusing the hell out of one.

The door shut. Then the body underneath him crawled ahead.

'Follow me.'

A little relieved now Ezio did as asked.

'How did you know about this?'

'Usually all the houses have an empty space at the edges of the roof when the ceiling is so high that it doesn't allow an attic. And some of the owners prefer to have access to that area. We were lucky that one of the entrances was in your father library.'

'So there is more than one entrance.'

'Two in most of the cases.'

They kept crawling on their elbows until Shiva stopped and pushed the planks underneath. The trap opened and the cape landed on the floor. Ezio followed and looked around. Then he felt a knot in his throat. The figure also took in the surroundings but with less interest.

Ezio approached the bed and stopped next to the window. Then he tried a joke but the sadness didn't escape to Shiva.

'Sly fox! That's how you always managed to know everything that _padre_ was up to.'

The figure watched him with curiosity.

'I'm sorry?'

'This was Federico's room. He must have used the link between the rooms to have an upper hand against me in what concerned father's business.'

The figure turned around looking once again around the room. Ezio shook his head and turned to the window, opening it. When he was about to climb the casement he stopped realising that Shiva wasn't following; instead he was stepping around the room stopping in front of the mirror and the shelf where Federico used to keep his values.

'What the hell are you doing? Don't even think about prigging something.' The cape turned dramatically and in less than a second it was next to him.

'Move.'

Ezio's eyes narrowed but this wasn't the time to argue. He boosted over the window frame and lifting himself to the roof he waited for Shiva to follow. Both of them ran from a rooftop to other without a single word exchange. When they reached the church Shiva stopped and waited for Ezio. He realised by now that the boy moved about with much more easiness than him considering the difference of weight.

While Ezio checked the street under them silence installed.

'What did you steal from my brother's room?' Ezio was no fool and his eyes were as sharp as of an eagle.

The figure advanced to the other edge and looked into distance.

'Don't you have some mercenaries to kill?'

He narrowed his eyes.

'How did you know?'

'That's what the note from the pigeon contained isn't it? You stopped to read it this afternoon when you were raiding _Firenze_ after me.'

The more he stood next to this person the more he realised that he had to take him seriously. His words were true after all – never judge a book by its covers.

'Go. Because you lost your time looking for me you don't have much left until they'll depart for Tuscany.'

The black cape prepared to jump on the balcony of a nearby building.

'We'll meet at Leonardo's.'

And with that calm voice he took the jump and with rapidity disappeared by the shadows.

Ezio looked where once the cape stood. Maybe he should start listening to Leonardo more. Once again he proved to be right. He still couldn't trust the guy completely but there was someone whose instincts he would follow blindly; and if his father was prepared to work with him, Ezio would do the same. At least until he would fully understand his father's motives.

His blade shined in the moonlight as the eagle launched himself over _Firenze._

* * *

~~End of 3rd Chapter~~


	4. stolen memories

A.N: This is rather a short chapter in which I realised that the plot will unfold at a slow pace due to the complex connections that I have created and that will be exposed later. As you might have noticed the events are still taking place in Florence and they will mostly continue to follow the original story. But rather than the main events I'll try at times to cover the gaps in the game, since there are also large periods of time that AC does not give information about.

Cheers!

* * *

_**Capitulo Quattro**_

* * *

Leonardo cursed as the candle on the table died off. He went to take another one from the shelf and lighting it he changed the used one with it. He was about to go back to his work when the light of the candle shivered. He turned around and his thoughts were confirmed when a dark figure stepped in the middle of the room.

'Ah, you're back. Was your night productive?'

The cape chose not to react to the joke.

'This is all I've found.' And from one of the leather pouches one gloved hand took out the artifact, dropping it into the artist's hand.

'Fascinating! This is indeed the same age as the cryptex.' He frowned. 'But… it's rather small considering the dimensions of the cryptex.'

'It's only half of it.'

'Indeed.' Leonardo commented pensively as he lowered the semi-orb to the light of the candles. The cape came closer.

'I'm wondering if the pieces were broken or they were supposed to detach and reattach in some way.'

'Hmmm… the flat facet doesn't present any kind of aggression and the lines are extremely clean. And look; do you see its inside? Those cubic forms carved into it are impossible to obtain unless they were there from the beginning.'

Leonardo continued to study the curved object with fascination. 'I can only presume how old this actually is. _Al diavolo! _Without the other part I can't even work on it. Where would this lead us if the orb was completed'

'We'll have to wait for that until I find the other piece.'

This caught the artist's attention.

'Speaking of which…did you meet with Ezio?'

'You mean to ask if he managed to find me after he practically notified the entire _Firenze _about my presence?' The cape sighed biting off some sarcasm. 'I have to admit I underestimated his sense of observation – I guess it's true what they say about an Assassin's special vision. He waited for me to make a move and break in. We parted after we got out of the house. I informed him we'll meet at your place.'

At this Leonardo looked quite surprised.

'Meet? So you intend to stay?'

The cape turned its back to the man and moved to the fireplace, staring absentmindedly at the flames.

Leonardo understood then what thoughts plagued his friend's mind. He sighed and underpinned his elbows on the table, fixing with the eyes the same spot as the cape.

'Are you by any chance doing this out of guilt?'

When the only other person in the room didn't reply he went on.

'I know you, and I can't think of any other reason why you would accept to go further into a situation that chains you to responsibilities. To you this artefact does not value more than a black market object. And even if we find the other piece it might turn out useless.'

Leonardo knew he won't get any reaction from the cape and anything he would say won't change what it has already been decided. But at least, as an old friend and bearer of secrets he felt that he had to voice his opinion, and in the end, the truth.

'It's not your fault because of what happened to the Auditore family. Don't blame yourself for things that were beyond you to accomplish. No one expected things to happen the way they did. It was a shock for everyone, a sudden turn of events that no one foresaw.'

'Giovanni did.' It was a short, cutting answer followed by silence. 'He was an extraordinary mind; he must have long felt something was changing. I just can't understand why he hasn't clearly acted upon it.' The voice ended in a low frustrated hiss.

'Shiva….' Leonardo sighed patiently as he stepped away from the table and took a seat on an improvised bench made of wood planks. '…no matter how powerful a man is he can't be in two places in the same time. No one is going to blame you for not stumbling across that damn thing sooner. As you said, it was pure coincidence.'

After another moment of silence the cape turned around and with a slow gesture of the hand the hood fell on the shoulders revealing to the artist wavy locks of light ash brown hair framing a pair of liquid citrine eyes that to Leonardo's distress betrayed the weight of a burden.

'But what if I missed something? What if there was a link of some sorts that I missed. Can you guarantee that if I had had discovered the cryptex sooner things would have still followed the same course?'

Leonardo looked to the ground with his arms heavily leaning on his legs. It was no use arguing with her. He gestured for the woman to come and sit near him. Without any words the cape followed the invitation.

'Your biggest problem was that you would always think with "if". The artist continued on a lighter tone. He looked at the long locks of hair falling along the cheek and hiding the feminine face from him. Apart form those free tresses the rest of the wavy voluminous hair was held back by a brown ribbon and hidden under the cape. Leonardo gazed at the figure next to him and a feeling of disillusion took over him for having to watch such sad face. He knew that this wasn't just about Auditore. Shiva was now confronting not only with the loss of a respected person but also one of her biggest regrets in her life. It was miserable how things she feared the most kept decorating her life.

'There, there! Stop feeding your mind with those grim thoughts!' Leonardo threw his left arm around her shoulders and crushed her gently. 'Since it's already settled and you plan on staying I'll go improvise a bed in the attic. I hope you don't mind cramped places but that's the best I have to offer.'

The man stood up and clapped his hands.

The golden eyes looked up at him and a small grin accompanied them.

'If that is how you usually treat a lady….'

Leonardo laughed and while walking to the stairs he shook his head.

'Now she remembers to act all lady-like.'

When he was stepping inside the upper room he heard the voice speak again.

Thank you.'

* * *

The next evening Ezio took his time to reach Leonardo's place. His last assassination mission had been fast and clean but on his way to the meeting place he decided against it. He was really exhausted and something told him that he needed new forces to be able to have a serious talk with that guy. Then, there were the unhappy events of that night. He needed to push them away and there were only two available options: one – a cold shower or a second, which worked better for him, a short visit to Paola. Of course, he opted for the latter. He had there a special girl that Paola introduced to him and she had proven to work like magic. And once the cloths were off, she was really breath taking. She was an exotic pleasure with her olive skin and dark brown hair. Her full lips and well curved body were everything that a man would dream of. Ezio liked his women to radiate of femininity, to have something to grab on and feel the round forms of a body. For him a woman was attractive as long as she had breasts and hips, something to offer and something to allure men with. He really didn't need an androgynous person being it man or woman. The same way he found shapeless women unattractive, he found genderly confusing boys an unnecessary existence. So he spent his morning at Paola's brothel, his tired body and mind getting a full recovery under the most enchanting hands. Now that he had taken control over his body he was ready for action again. He was near the house when he realised that he was squirming too much over this situation. When he approached the entrance the door opened widely and out stepped Leonardo and his pupil caring several paintings dressed in paper.

'Ah, Ezio. You're here! I was about to leave for a couple of minutes to deliver these to someone.'  
Ezio nodded but then, without realising, his eyes fell on Salai as he started to pin him down with some sort of intense, investigating glare. Leonardo looked from one to another in confusion and by the look of it the young boy was also unnerved by the stares he was suddenly receiving.

'Is there….something wrong?'

The artist's voice made Ezio mentally slap himself for the stupid reaction.

'Ah no, nothing at all. I see you brought the boy a new tunic.' He tried an escape plan.

By the bored look of Leonardo, it was clear as day that he didn't buy it.

'That's the tunic he bought himself last month.'

'Oh…'

The artist decided to drop the subject, for something was wrong with his friend's mind and he preferred not to know of it.

'Please make yourself comfortable while I get back. Shiva should be hanging around in the atelier. If you need anything just ask.'

He was about to take his leave when he looked over his shoulder.

'Just don't pick up a fight while I am gone, I beg of you.'

Ezio snickered and went inside through the opened door.

He didn't have to look long as he found the cape currently sitting on one of the wood benches, with his back towards him. As he lowered his hood the man knew that his presence had been noticed. So he walked to the figure a little curious about what was getting his attentions at such degree that his presence presented no interest at all. When close enough, he realised that the lowered hood was watching something that he was currently holding in his hand. He stopped behind, now also looking at the object of interest. His jaw clenched but he remembered Leonardo's begging voice.

'So that's what you took from my brother's room.'

He saddled the bench next to the figure without waiting for an invitation. As if mesmerised, Ezio continued to look at the jewel in the same silence. That thing brought up old memories.

'Federico was obsessed with it.'

He watched the brooch glitter as the fingers shifted in an unnoticeable movement. He had to admit that it was extremely beautiful and very well crafted but he never understood his brother's fascination towards it. It was an egg-shaped brooch, half the size of a palm with a beautiful emerald gemstone encircled almost entirely by the slim body of a fox carved in gold, curved along the stone with the head at the base and the long wavy tail at the top.

Ezio smiled at the memory.

'I remember the evening he first came home wearing that brooch. He was so full of himself that night, shoving it in everybody's face. Funny though, even if I knew a woman gave that to him, he insisted it was a symbol of ownership; that he was about to manage something that many men couldn't. Even today I have no idea of what was in his head. I just know he slapped my hand when I wanted to touch it, treating me as if I was too young for it. I always got irritated of how Federico and father seemed to always smile knowingly on things that left me clueless.'

He stopped his trail of words, getting deeper into the memories of better times.

'He would always wear it at social events and forbid women to touch it while my mother scolded him for offering more importance to that damn brooch than to the lady he was courting.'

He always envied Federico for his quick ways of getting a woman and still look like the rational, well respected older son of the Auditore, even though he was worse than him when it came to respecting a woman. His 'relationships' were quick but because of his witty attitude and sharp mind he had always managed to keep them from the eyes of the audience whilst Ezio felt no fun in being quiet and reserved about it. And somehow all _Firenze _would end up knowing of the doings of the second son of the Auditore before morning.

Suddenly the figure hid the brooch in a fist and got up. Furiously, Ezio gripped his left wrist without realising how much pressure he used. Only when he acknowledged the thin wrist, entirely covered by his palm he felt the familiar feeling of discomfort growing back on him. Still, he kept looking with narrowed eyes up at the dark hood.

'For you that might be a simple jewel but it meant a lot more for my brother. I can't let you have it.'

He wanted to let go of that wrist as soon as possible but it would have betrayed weakness. And the figure gave no sign of cooperation either. All this time he had kept a suspicious silence. When Ezio was about to tighten the grip the door opened and Leonardo stepped in, froze for an instance, and while closing the door, he smiled all too sweetly.

'Ah, so you've finally become friends. I see you even hold hands now.'

As if being caught doing something shameful Ezio retreated his hand like burnt. A thing that surprised even the figure in front of him. Of course Leonardo's words were sarcastic, reason why the man's gesture seemed quite funny.

Ezio got up and cleared his throat.

'I'm sorry I haven't come here sooner. I had to lay down a bit and take a rest.'

The figure stepped away to go near Leonardo. 'In a warm bed'. He said as he trailed off in a sarcastic matter-of-fact tone.

Ezio swallowed a curse. 'Yes, next to a _woman._' He hissed as he went past the figure. The cape stopped and as the hood rotated after him, hiding probably a dumbstruck face, Leonardo couldn't stop himself to look bemused at this peculiar way in which Ezio had been acting even since they met for the day.

'Soo, going back to business, Shiva showed me what you have found last night. As interesting and fascinating as that is I can't work on it without knowing where to start from.'

The brown haired man crossed his arms.

'Do you believe it has anything to do with the Assassins?'

'Probably, possibly… yet not sure.' The cape advanced to the table to uncover the half orb and look at it.

'My uncle talked about some sort of legend….Piece of Eden or something. And the codex pages…they are all talking about the same object.'

'What codex?'

The cape looked up.

'It looks like my father was searching for its pages to decode information about this Piece of Eden.'

'Yes, the ones I've been using to provide Ezio his weapons.'

The cape started once again to pace around the room.

'So you say that your uncle possesses more information on this matter.'

'Eh, I wouldn't say that. This is almost everything he knows. We don't even know how this thing is related to the entire Assassin's business.'

'For now this is the only track we have.' Then the cape stopped and looked straight at Ezio.

'I know you are after Jacopo de Pazzi. I'd like you to delay your departure. Go and talk to Lorenzo de Medici, ask him what he knows of the conspirators of your family but stay in _Firenze_ a little longer. I intend to do some research on this codex pages you're talking about and if the artefact is related to them I hope to find some clues about the other half as well. I want to acquire as much information as possible before you'll go and share it with your uncle. I take he's an Assassin as well. He might be able to put the information together and come up with something.'

'I think this is the longest monologue I heard from you.' Ezio couldn't abstain from smirking but the figure made his humorous mood turn in its advantage.

'Good. So we're settled. See you as soon as I have more information.'

'Hei, I didn't ag- ' but the cape was already out of the house. '_Maledizione!_'

On the other hand, Leonardo had another kind of revelation, on a more personal note: it might be that this sudden, undesired and awkward collaboration between the two will provide humour to his boring existence.

* * *

~~End of the 4th chapter~~


	5. Outrun me

_**Capitolo Cinque**_

* * *

Ezio met the snobbish thief three days later. From his point of view it was too soon. _Never _would have been more appropriated. He reached Leonardo's atelier to find that only Salai was there. The boy explained that his _maestro_ was out and that he should wait for his return. While the young student went back to his work Ezio took a seat and prepared himself for a long waiting. Out of boredom he looked at the painting the boy was working on and from the traces of charcoal he found himself following the slender fingers and thin wrist. Shiva's wrist should be the same size. He wondered how they could live with such fragile bodies. Salai's pigment was a little touched by the sun and Ezio put a bet with himself that Shiva's skin must be as white as the canvas of a painting under that cape. Even his hands were always covered with gloves. He continued to stare absentmindedly at the boy realising that he was still a normal man, fully attracted to grown up women. The long golden ringlets still looked abnormal for a man in Ezio's opinion. Each time Leonardo tried to explain how these young boys are the perfect portrait for inspiration and art he would find himself ultimately bored. Leonardo was his friend and he preferred to see all these things as weirdness of an artist. He frowned. That still didn't explain the stupid feeling on embarrassment that threatened to take over him each time Shiva was invading his personal space. Maybe it was because of the mystery of that long cape or the low voice in which he was always talking. Then, there was something else. He straightened in the chair. _The smell. _He needed a confirmation. Ezio felt that whatever he'll end up doing it will have an ultimately stupid result.

He coughed to get attention and looked at the ceiling for a possible subject. Then his eyes lingered on the entrance at the end of the staircase. A sudden thought crossed his mind and he voiced it without realising.

'Where does Shiva sleep?'

The boy answered without lifting his eyes form the painting.

'When at _Maestro, _in the attic.'

Ezio arched an eyebrow. How did the boy know this? But it was a good subject actually.

'Sooooo, _bambino_' He stood up and pretended to walk around the room. 'don't you feel a little threatened by Shiva's presence?'

The boy stopped from drawing, a little confused.

'Why should I?'

'Well, they spend a lot of time together…._alone._'

This time confusion was even more visible but Salai shook his head.

'Leonardo told me they are old friends; that he first met Shiva during childhood.'

This fellow seemed overconfident.

'Are you sure they are just good friends?'

At that Salai surprised him with a laugh.

'I am sure. Shiva is definitely not my _Maetstro's_ type.'

'And what is his type?' Ezio asked a little bit annoyed by the boy's attitude. Is arrogance a common trait for androgynous youngsters?

The slender boy smiled mischievously while returning to his painting.

'Just… not his type. Shiva… lacks something and… possesses something, may I say, unnecessary.'

Damn, Ezio hated their smart mouths. He approached the boy, and with his arms crossed ahead he stood right behind him, looking at the picture. Art didn't interest him much but slowly he leaned ahead, towering over the boy and in the most awkward position he tried to smell the skin of his shoulder. It didn't took long for the boy to notice him and to half turn his face in order to throw him one of his most perplex looks.

'Ezio! _Ma che cosa stai facendo?'_

The Auditore boy felt his eyes widen in horror at the familiar voice coming from far behind.

Almost with dread he slowly turned around, his nightmare becoming reality.

In the doorframe stood a baffled Leonardo and near him a petrified cape. Before losing himself to embarrassment of how this might have looked from their angle he cursed the stupid hood that blocked Ezio from reading the expression of the wearer.

'Leonardo, ha ha…you're back.! Well...I was entertaining myself with your pupil while you were gone.'

_Cazzo! That came out wrong._

'I mean, with his art!' Ezio gestured desperately with his arms.

The silence was killing him. He felt as busted as that one time when he was 8 and his mother caught him peeking at the two daughters of the neighbours whilst they were having a bath.

After what seemed an eternity Leonardo finally broke the silence.

'Well, you are here finally. We have been waiting for you to show up and trade some information.'

As he and Shiva advanced inside the room Ezio covered his face with a hand.

He heard Leonardo telling Salai to call it a day and finally he accompanied him to the door.

Between his fingers he side-glanced at the figure that was currently standing to his right, watching the unfinished painting. Its posture reminded him of a curious cat, turning its head from left to right. _That guy!_

'This is your damn fault!' he hissed between his teeth. The cape turned to him, arms crossed over the chest and a sarcastic tone in the voice, not powerful enough to hide the hint of amusement.

'What do I have to do with any of it?'

Whilst they had their little quarrel Salai bowed but before leaving he watched over Leonardo's shoulder.

' Messer Ezio doesn't know that Shiva is a woman, does he?'

The artist shared his amusement.

'No, he doesn't.'

And with these last words they parted and Leonardo returned to his two friends. Now that there were just the three of them they could talk about the problem at hand instead of fooling around.

'How was your day, Ezio?'

The man focused his attention to the artist.

'I finally got to talk with Lorenzo de Medici.'

'Did he offer you a name?' This time the cape interrupted him.

'Four of them actually; besides Jacopo.'

'Good. Looks like you'll have your hands full once you leave Firenze.'

Ezio blocked his urge to sigh when the black hood fell into his usual routine of pacing around the room. Couldn't he just stay in one place?

'On my side, I managed to locate several codex pages in Firenze. Most of them are kept in banks alongside other values. Those are the most easy to steal. Then there are a few that are well protected inside the walls of the houses. I have reasons to believe that if any of the owners of these codex pages is aware of the existence of the other piece of the artefact it must be one of the latter; probably keeping it under high security.'

Ezio shook his head and brought one hand up.

'Do you have to move back and foreword all the time? Can't you just stay in one place? You are hard to follow and you are making me _dizzy.'_

The figure paused for a second and continued its actions with the most serene voice.

'I do my best thinking like this.'

Ezio sighed as a sign of giving up on proving his point.

'I'm going to provide you the names of these nobles, as somehow they all proved to be from the high society. When I'll do that I want you to tell me if any of these names sound familiar to you. And if my presumption is correct, I bet on one of my arms that one of those names not only will sound familiar but you will also recognise it as one of your family's rivals. And there is where we'll have the highest chances of finding the other fragment of the orb.'

The assassin thought over the words and they made a good deal of sense. If that was the case he'll wait until all those codex pages are in his hands and translated by Leonardo.

'You should also wait until things calm down before launching into a hunt after Jacopo. They are probably on high alert right now after Francesco de Pazzi's death. Wait until their minds will start forgetting and their caution will be put to sleep. It will be easier for you to attack then.'

After a moment of silence Ezio finally nodded.

'Good. When do we start?'

The figure froze.

'What do you mean '_we'_? There is no '_we'. I _am going to retrieve those codex pages and you will not stay in my way.'

Ezio grabbed the wrist of the hand that was currently emphasising the word '_I'_.

'You don't have to take it all on yourself. I am here to help you go through hardship.' Ezio was quite content with his acting. He covered the gloved hand with both of his hands and put it over his chest faking compassion. 'What kind of man would I be to leave the dirty work in the hands of a pure and delicate boy such as yourself?' Maybe he had started in a paternal theatrical voice but in the end he couldn't hide his sarcasm and annoyance.

Contrarily, it seem that his audience didn't find him amusing at all judging by the 'let go of my hand' hiss that for some reason sounded more like a 'do you want to die painfully' line.

The cape ripped the hand out of his hold and turned to the artist that was analysing the interaction with scientific interest.

'Leonardo! I don't intend to baby-sit anybody.'

'Ei!' Suddenly the assassin's voice turned dead serious. 'Don't you think you're overdoing it? If anyone in this room looks like needing a _tata _(nanny) that is you.'

Leonardo brought a hand to his mouth to stop the laughter that was threatening to come out. Then he sensed the irritation building inside his female friend and considered it was time to speak.

'Shiva, Ezio is right. NOT with regard to the last part. I was talking about you two working together. In the end Ezio is the one with rights over those codex pages and he is also the one in need of them. Now I can foresee how different your styles are but I am sure that at least one of you will act with maturity and leave their ego aside.'

Ezio swore the cape let out a '_hmpf_' when it spun on the heels.

'Do whatever you want - as long you can keep the pace and not get in my way.'

The tall man promised himself that one more time will this guy dare walk out on him and he'll pin him to a wall to give him a lesson about respect. He looked frenetically between the door that the guy left open and Leonardo.

The latter shook his head half in amusement half in disappointment and waved Ezio to go and follow Shiva.

Situation presenting itself in such a way Ezio went after the cape. He caught up with it easily and both walked side by side in the dark streets. They didn't have to walk too much until a group of courtesans appeared at one of the corners. They walked past them but not without whispering in their sing-songed voices and giggling at Ezio, waving and flirting their way to the man.

While Ezio smirked and complemented the ladies the cape let out a sigh of frustration.

'Can you be _louder _than this? See? That's precisely my point - your way of doing things is no more different than a peacock in heat.'

'Ooo-ho-hooo! Those are some harsh words for you to use _bambino.'_

The figure twitched. Yes, indeed setting this boy on fire was by far more entertaining that the little flirt he had with the courtesans.

'No need to be envious. One day you'll grow up and the women will start paying attention to you too.' He ended his phrase with a barked laughter and slapped the boy over the back, a little too hard it seems as he ungracefully bowed ahead as if ready to break in two. Then, from that position he snapped backwards and threw his left hand up, stopping it in the last moment right in front of Ezio's face. He had to instantly arch his back as that hand hold a terrifyingly resemblance to a claw. He blinked while the hand started to shake as if the holder was currently having an inner fight for control. Then it retreated with a stiffed yelp of frustration.

_Scary. _Ezio smirked as they started to move again_._ But the satisfaction was complete.

'Can you at least pretend to take things seriously?' the voice hissed.

Slowly the amusement faded away.

'There's a difference between being serious about something and being all tighten up.'

'Oh, trust me I know of that difference. But you are not in the position to talk. I've heard of your assassinations. They've all been messy and unorganised.'

'You're forcing your luck again.'

'Whatever.'

'You know, you have a malicious mouth for a boy.'

'And you have a huge ego for a mule. Anything else?'

Ezio's eyes widened at the insult and he was about to stop in his tracks. Then he glared viciously and muttered a curse.

'Listen here. One of the codex pages is situated in the Savila Bank in _Mercato Vecchio_. I believe you know where that is.'

Ezio nodded as he considered which shortcuts to take in order to get there faster.

'Good.'

The figure took one step ahead and went around the corner. When Ezio did the same he received a cold shower. The cape had vanished into the night.

'_Cazzo!_'

Forget about the streets. He'll go for the roofs! _Fast!_


	6. Night Raid

First things first: thank you for the comments you guys left, Kosh Pilot( especially thank you because you made me go back through the chapters in speed mode) and Lyss.

And also thanks XevilxbunnyX - you can consider this chapter a result of your review that motivated me to update faster. To answer your question, he'll find out about Shiva's gender during one of these chapters but there is no fun to let his manly ego unbruised. And a little torment and panic is a nice touch in Ezio's way to maturity. ;))

All being said….

* * *

_**Capitolo Sei**_

* * *

The boy had spirit for challenging him like that. Ezio heaved himself over the edge of the rooftop and started his free run. He had to move fast knowing the upper hand the boy had over him in speed. But he had Firenze in his advantage, knowing its streets, corners and rooftops by hand. When two buildings away from Savila Bank he jumped, grabbing the edge of a balcony and swinging himself to the ground. He advanced in the dark street and, fully hidden in darkness, he watched the three guards planted in front of the door. As expected the door, usually closed at night was now opened and the guards were waiting for the regular auditor to come and testify the status of the bank accounts. The door was lightened by the gas lanterns situated above the entrance. Ezio knew that the cleanest way inside was a distraction, one of his favourite when he wanted to stay out of troubles. He was about to investigate the area for such an occasion when he saw movement on the same wall as the entrance. His eyes narrowed…_What was on that fellow's mind?_

At the line where light started to fade in shadow he saw the shape of the dark boots and the hood that, noticing his presence, quick glanced at him and vanished like a predator that had been caught in action. Ezio was sure that he will appear again, he just didn't know where. And then, he felt his eyes widen as he watched the feet of the guards. Slowly he looked up to confirm it. From inside the bank, right in the door frame, behind the clueless guards the thief was mocking him with his gloved finger brought in front of the hood in as a sign to keep quiet. Then, taking his time the cape stepped further, disappearing inside the room.

Ezio crackled his fingers in anticipation. How did he get in? After a couple of minutes the cape appeared again in the same spot. He stood still, then, with fluid gestures he stepped right behind the guards and slinked along the wall at just centimeters from the armed men without them noticing or even flinching. To make things worse when the figure was out of the light one of those buffoons yawned.

Ezio shock his head and considered leaving the place before things would go nasty. He went along the street the figure had disappeared into but there was no sign of him. He continued his careful watch and there was no motion. Or maybe he was wrong. He had witnessed to how smoothly the guy worked and he could be anywhere. Walking in darkness he thought back at the moves the cape had pulled. He was arrogant indeed but impressive. Out of curiosity he activated his eagle vision. Still nothing.

'Are you using your special trait? I would say so by the way you are carefully judging your surroundings.'

Ezio had time just to catch the corner of the cape as it vanished completely on the rooftop to his left.

'You know, you are quite a challenge for someone whose interests are to live in shadows.'

This time Ezio spun as the voice was coming from behind… but the street was empty.

'You share this trait with your father…though he was better at it.'

The Assassin glanced to his left in hopes to catch a sight of glow. How on earth was this guy moving without him being able to sense him?

Ezio turned again and continued his walk taking in every detail.

'So you used to play this game with my father as well?'

'No, not really. He wasn't much of a fun to play with since he only cared to know if I was somewhere nearby or not.'

Ezio continued to walk waiting for any sign or sound.

'You are arrogant enough to think that your abilities are an upper hand against your opponent. But the real advantage comes by knowing the flaws in your opponent's tactics. And at the moment I am working on yours; that's why I am currently finding you fascinating.'

'I'm flattered.' But the irritation in his voice was noticeable through the sneer. 'And what are my flaws, pray do tell?'

There was a moment of silence but the voice continued from his distant right. By now Ezio had figured that he must have been walking along on the other street.

'You might have special eyesight but your eyes have the same limitations as the rest of the normal humans. Namely you can't see through obstacles.' And then the voice suddenly stopped and Ezio did the same, his senses automatically sharpening.

'… or out of the eyesight's range.' The whispered voice right over his left shoulder sent hot tingles down his spine forbidding him to react promptly. When he regained control over his body it was too late as the figure was already gone. _Damn!_ He couldn't believe this. It was the second time that voice was having critical effects over his body. And how convenient of it to happen both times at night, when his body was on high alert. All this was unfair. He narrowed his eyes in frustration and tried not to concentrate on the effect the voice had produced in his pants. Not fair at all. He continued to move on, trying to keep his calm.

'Will you quit this childish game of yours and stop hiding like a brat?' Apparently he was not good at it.

'Look who's acting all snobbish and bratty.'

Great, now he was even enjoying it.

'Let's make a deal.'

Ezio had enough of that voice that kept talking from all the directions.

'What now?'

'There is one more scroll that we can take tonight. In the northern district, at Minerva's bank garner. If you manage to get your hands on it before me I'll accept working with you at a normal basis, no more puns, no more distance and especially no more hiding. Think you can manage?'

The smart voice was soon followed by the glowing form of the owner as the cape stepped from behind a fountain.

Ezio considered the situation: this fellow had proved to be fast and soundless – regular guards represented no threat for him. But this time Ezio knew something that he didn't. Minerva bank had been robbed recently and the owner was now using a Brute at night shifts. There was no way the boy could get in through the main entrance. The second best advantage he had was that on the same street was always slaking around a group of Paola's women. He smirked, this time he had a good chance to start with.

'Deal.'

It took just that one word for the figure to disappear. Before deactivating his eagle vision he followed the cape until it was out of sight. The rooftops – smart decision, but that would bring him to the other side of the bank.

He started to run along the streets, following the shortest way and in the same time increasing his chances to meet the women. He run past silent houses, leaped over closed merchant stands, quickly approaching his destination. He couldn't hide the smirk as the girls were perfectly positioned at the end of the road. He ceased his speed and passed right through them, putting some florins in the hand of the blonde one and whispering their job.

He stepped away watching the girls do what they knew best. While they were luring the guards away Ezio took his time to look for any sign of the cape. He was nowhere to see. This could be a good thing or a bad thing. It's not like he would deliberately let himself be noticed. Once the guards were out of the game he needed to move fast. He couldn't afford losing any moment so the second the guards started to make their moves on the girls Ezio slipped from his hiding point right behind the men and through the door. He had no time to look around the richly decorated room and approached the chest. With the most stifled grin on his face he realised that the chest was still locked and he hit the padlock with enough power to crush it. He opened the lid and stretched his hand to take his reward.

Then he froze.

He would have told himself that this must have been the wrong chest if not for the pair of platinum cogged needles positioned almost defying in an "X" mark in the place where the codex should have been. He knew those needles. He grabbed them with anger and was about to curse when he heard noises from outside. _Al diavolo!_ He threw the lid back on and sprinted behind the door. He felt the guard in the doorway and transformed his hand into a fist ready to activate his blade if needed. The man inspected the room and not finding anything suspicious he closed the door.

Ezio relaxed just to feel every gear in his brain work at the clicking sound of the lock. He stood in perfect silence and waited….and waited. Then he suppressed his urge to laugh like a mad man. This was _not _happening to him. He had been locked in a bank…a damn bank! The assassin stepped away from the wall and walked to the center of the room. He started to analyse the situation. He was _trapped_ inside of a bank, four guards planted outside the main entrance, one object _stolen_ from this bank and probably in a room upstairs a sleeping owner. Sure, no one would suspect a hooded assassin of the deed. Oh yes, he forgot the piece of resistance – the two lock picking tools in his hand. Ezio glanced at them and then at the window; it had a key lock for extra protection. He wondered if that nasty fellow had it all planned. How does he manage it anyway? It can't be that hard. He went to the window and analysing the needles and the lock he pushed the two inside, starting to move them about. The hooded man felt something grip at times but he would always lose them. He grew impatient and his hands were starting to work violently against the lock.

'Oh fuck this!'

And the next thing he did was to throw a punch at the window sending it in shards to the ground. If his furious swear didn't reach the guards' ears this surely did. By the time Ezio jumped over the window frame the guards had tumbled inside. It was a stupid idea but right now he was angry. No, he was beyond angry – he was mad. And he had only one place in his mind: Leonardo's atelier….with the guards in hot pursue.

He had finally managed to break out of their sight when he was one corner away from Leonardo's. He stopped with his hand on the wall to catch his breath but when he looked up he caught a glimpse of the cape nonchalantly entering the house.

'HEY YOU! Stop, you damn –'

* * *

Leonardo opened the door for Shiva to enter. The artist looked at the cape and around her in confusion.

'Where is Ezio?'

The thief proceeded inside and went to the table to take the opened bottle of wine, pouring some into a glass.

'You should step away from the door.'

But Leonardo found himself practically forced to jump backwards to evade the door that had been furiously punched right towards his face. When he came back from the shock he saw in the middle of the room a huffing Assassin, hands on his knees, ready to give his last breath.

'Close…. the…. door.'

Leonardo waited no more in doing so, locking it and running to his panting friend.

'Shiva, what on earth did you make him go through?' He put both of his hands on the assassin's shoulder and back. 'Do you want some water?'

But the artist had to jump away from a hit the second time as Ezio snapped powerfully in a straight position and pointed with anger towards the cape.

'I told YOU to stop!'

The figure put the glass down unfazed and stepped near the assassin.

'Did you find kindness in your heart to bring my needles back too?'

'What-? To hell with your –' But Ezio transformed into a stone when he felt a pair of arms encircling his abdomen and grabbing the pouch from his back, forcefully pulling.

Still, the face was hidden but the cape looked up and whispered an ironic and sweet 'Thank you' in his face.

Ezio's eyes widened in shock. Oh, you won't do this a second time! But when he wanted to grab one of the arms it slipped right through his hands and the figure stepped away not even trying to hide the mocking sneer.

'Listen here y-'

'I am impressed. You came back quite fast… With an escort of guards, that is.'

'I was locked in that bank! _I _had to break the window and all you have to tell me is this!'

'You broke the window?' the voice faked surprise. 'And to think I even let you my needles for a proper use. I believe you broke the lock of the chest too. Let's just hope you won't make a habit out of breaking everything I gentle-handle.'

Was that a happy tone he was hearing? Ezio looked in disbelief as the thief filled the same glass he had used with water and coming back to him, he gripped his left hand and left it there. He couldn't stop staring at the glass like a retarded person. The boy was deliberately _mocking _him!

Before the cape stepped away he looked over his shoulder.

'Oh, and the needles probably didn't work because the window was already unlocked.'

Ezio's eyes snapped to his interlocutor. 'How could I lock it back when the window was my only way out and the needles were already inside the chest?'

Silence.

And after that, more silence.

Ezio's knuckles turned white on the glass. With a violent gesture he swallowed the water and thundered to the table that was currently serving as a sitting place for the cape, smashing the glass right next to the cape covered hip. Oh, how he wished to punch this fellow, fragile body or not.

'Uuu, scary!' But if anything at all, the voice sounded like a meow rather than a scared human.

'Shiva, that's enough!'

Leonardo felt that she had gone too far and there was pure concern in his voice. 'Ezio, you should take a seat and calm yourself. I know Shiva for enough time to understand you have good reasons to be angry.'

Ezio threw one more glance to the arrogant cape before turning to Leonardo.

'That's ok. I might have overreacted as well.' If there was one thing that he understood that night after year in which his father had repeated it to him over and over again, that was the saying '_still tongue makes a wise head'. _So he'll be the wise one this time.

'Hmmmmmmmm….'

That did it. Fine, so it was true, Ezio couldn't hold his tongue! So he spun on his heels.

'What are you snickering at hyena?'

The cape let the head to one side.

'Well, that's a new one. I've never been called a hyena before.'

The more the cape was enjoying this, the more Ezio felt frustration built inside.

'And what are you called then?'

But the cape didn't answer.

Leonardo shook his head. He was tired and they were really destroying his well-deserved sleep.

'Try a fox. What Shiva is best at is slipping right from under your eyesight like a fox.'

Ezio arched an eyebrow unimpressed. While getting near to the artist an image of his brother's brooch passed through his mind. _A fox…_

'I've had enough with only one fox in this city.' He waved the thought away.

'_La volpe?_' It seemed that the subject caught the figure's interest. 'You know _La Volpe.' _And the cape looked at Leonardo already knowing who had told the assassin about him.

'I had forgotten about that old fox. He was always on my toes whenever I was trespassing Firenze. I should avoid walking around with my loot. Oh well…'

The figure stood up and got the two codex pages from under the cape putting them on the table.

'These are all yours Leonardo.'

'Shiva, if you really have something against working with Ezio you should have clearly stated it from the beginning. Making him lose his breath in a fool's run all over Firenze is a scoundrelly thing to do.'

But the cape turned around and started to walk up the stairs.

'There are three more codex pages in bank holds and we should be able to take them by tomorrow night. I'll meet you at Santa Maria Novella at noon. Now, go get some sleep.'

And with those words the cape vanished away in the room upstairs. Both of the men kept silent but for different reasons. On his side, Leonardo was taken aback about the sudden decision. After the way in which the events of the night evolved he would have thought that all that Shiva had done was in order to get rid of Ezio. That's her usual way of showing someone that he or she isn't needed. She doesn't use words; she simply…leaves them behind. And during her stay here she only showed signs of discredit and dislike towards Ezio. The artist grinned. Maybe whilst they were away something happened. Looking back, when she returned from her hunting, Shiva was rather good-humored, something you don't see very often. Either way, Ezio must have grown a little in her eyes.

'Did he just treat me like a 5 years old kid?'

Leonardo looked at the indignant assassin.

Or maybe he had spoken too early.

* * *

~~End of chapter 6~~


	7. violent games we play

A.N: long chapter coming ahead.

Popdude125: thank you for the comment, and yes..Ezio is encountering troubles in keeping his mind clear and his sexual orientations in check. Secondly, whilst he might seem a little out of character he is not. At this part of the story he is still a 'kid' mentality. During the game we see Ezio not only fighting for revenge but also on his brusque road to maturity. The story is still at the beginning, after he has barely accepted that he is an Assassin. Maybe this is one of the key element of my story. I want to point out the steps that Ezio has to make to end up the fully grown man who values honour at the end of the game and as he is presented at the beginning of AC Brotherhood. We have to remember that at the beginning of AC II he was just a kid of 16 ;))

* * *

_**Capitulo Sette**_

* * *

Contrarily to what he had been told to do Ezio couldn't get much sleep that night; or what was left of it. He had been tossing in bed like a worm because his mind kept going back to the voice of that boy. Well, not exactly to the voice but to the way his body unintentionally reacted to it. This time Ezio was really concerned. It was outrageous what was happening to him. He had thought about it all night long and tried to come up with different reasons. It was impossible. Since he knew himself he liked women…breasts, hips and well… vaginas. A man can't change his tastes just like that, can't he? He by all means was not homosexual. As he was mingling in the crowd he glanced at various men and boys just to confirm his statement. And he found himself disgusted at any intimate thought about any of them. Then there was another horrifying situation. What if he… swinged both ways? There were a lot of men doing it these days. But sincerely, he was really scared about the thought. Any other boy, any other men he felt nothing when in contact with them, but what on earth made this guy different? Well...he knew the answer, but it was not helping his mental state. First it was the voice. It was husky and low, not a single high pitch…or at least until now there hadn't been any occasions. Ezio seriously considered stopping by a wall fountain and sink his head into the cold water because of the insane thoughts that were webbing his mind. But what was even more annoying than this was the silkiness of the voice. He had met enough women and boys to share this common tread but this time the fact that he couldn't match it with a face was fatally affecting him. Then there was the body. A body that was unnecessarily slender and flexible for a boy. He remembered the thin wrist and the long fingers. _Perdio! _He was really starting to panic. Maybe he should talk with Leonardo about this, since he was ...well... favouring men over women.

Ezio was already next to the man's house when he stopped, staring at the door. What the hell was he thinking? Leonardo would laugh his lungs out if he were to find about Ezio's current dilemma. There was no way he would let the artist know about this. It was at stake his dignity as a man.

He sighed and knocked at the artist's door. Last night before he left Leonardo asked him if he could pass by his place before meeting with Shiva. He had said something about a favour of some sorts.

The man didn't have to wait long for Leonrdo to open the door and receive him with an already familiar hug.

'I'm so glad you didn't forget about me, Ezio!'

'Ha, ha, how could I forget about a favour for a friend?'

'Ah yes. The thing is that I wanted to ask you if you could accompany me_ a'l Mercato dei fiori?_ It's near of Santa Maria Novella so I won't cause you any problem with your meeting time.'

'_Non c'è problema!_ But what can I be of help with?'

Ezio waited for Leonardo to lock the door and for both of them to make their way down the streets of Florence.

'Well, I wanted to consult you in a problem of your field.'

Ezio smirked comically.

'What, you want to kill somebody?'

The artist looked at him with vexation before answering in a dry tone:

'Women.'

'Ooooh, I didn't know I was such an expert. Hmm, it may be.'

Leonardo shook his head at his friend's boost of ego.

'And what exactly do you need me for?'

'Well, an old friend of mine came recently to Firenze and I was looking for a gift to her likings.'

'Aaaaad?'

Leonardo sighed. Ezio really liked to listen to others praising his aptitudes. He decided to go along; after all he had an idea of how he'll be depraved of his dignity while working with Shiva.

'And from all the people that I know, you … know how to please a woman the best.' The artist stole a glance to his friend. Oh dear, what has he done? He had unleashed a monster.

Ezio felt like hitting the hot spot. After all these days of frustration he received the ground back hard under his feet. He laughed at how stupid he had been; he had no reason to worry and Leonardo jut reminded him of that.

'Well, I can't contradict you on that. So, _amico_, do I know her?'

Leonardo took his time before carefully answering.

'I don't believe you've _seen _her.'

Ezio followed his smile carefully. Then a thought crossed his mind. Maybe this was his chance.

'I'll help you. But with a cost of another favour.'

'Why of course! Anything you ask.'

Ezio grinned.

'Good. Shiva it is.'

Leonardo opened his eyes in shock. When had he figured it out? Even if he had been unfair to his friend, he felt a little disappointed. He wished he could have played with Ezio's self confidence a little more.

'What was that?'

'I mean I help you, you help me. I want some information over the guy. And he doesn't look like he'll tell me anything anytime soon.'

'Oh!' Leonardo cursed. Maybe he had looked a little too relieved. 'Oh, well...uumm…I guess I can offer you something without having Shiva at my throat. Let's see…'

'Where does he come from?' Ezio asked quickly.

'From everywhere I guess.' The artist answered honestly. 'He doesn't have a home or place to relate with; at least not for quite a time. That's also what makes him hard to catch. He doesn't stay long in one place. Actually, all it takes is for you to start feeling comfortable around him and the next morning you find out that he's vanished.' His last words came out as if he had fallen into a state of melancholy. Then he clapped his hands and looked up, continuing in a much more cheerful voice. 'But why not start with the beginning? It's a rather funny story and I can't say it was more pleasant than yours.'

Ezio arched an eyebrow but said nothing.

'I first met Shiva when I was a teenager, so you see our friendship goes a long way. I was travelling with my _mestro, _Andrea di Cione, to one of his creditors in the north. His wife had commissioned _Maestro_ for a painting. His manor was some miles outside _Torino _and we were travelling from the city to the _villa _with a carriage.' The artist was throwing his arms about to describe the details of his story. 'I remember we were one or two miles away from our destination when _Maestro_ decided to stop at the fair that was organised on the road, outside Torino. Verrocchio had left me to take care of the fiacre. I was having a hard time keeping the horses in place when it happened. I heard yelling behind me and I turned just in time to see a ragged brown cape jumping right inside the carriage, hiding between our luggage. It's an understatement to say that I panicked. Seeing a bunch of armed guards from the city running right your way it's not a thing a fourteen years old kid would take with easiness. You will excuse the sensation of flabbiness in my knees as I was never found of adventure. I was looking inside the carriage and thinking to myself of what I should do. I sincerely mistook Shiva at that time with a little boy that had probably stolen something to eat with the guards seeing him. It triggered an emotion of pity in me, which lately proved to have been a mistake.'

'You mistook him?'

Leonardo realised the mistake he had done. 'Ah…yes…as a way of speaking. He... he…Let me finish the story.'

Sceptic Ezio held his questions when Leonardo burst out laughing.

'Ah, only to see those frightful men towering over you and asking about the rogue they were after… I have no idea what took over me when I lifted one hand and pointed straight ahead of the road. I guess I did it without thinking. While they continued their run I kept looking at them until they were out of sight; one of them was limping along and the others all covered in tomatoes and eggs. I was brought back to reality by the sound of our luggage being thrown all around the carriage. When I looked inside I found the hooded boy fumbling through our things. I jumped inside but then had no idea what to do. When I tried to stop him I found myself thrown to the floor and before I could react, Shiva was already out of the fiacre. That's when _Maestro_ came, finding his most precious paintbrushes, graved with the seal of the Venetian doge stolen and me, his pupil, with the legs in the air in the middle of the carriage.'

Ezio stared confused at the laughing artist.

'I sincerely see no reason of amusement.'

'Oh, don't get me wrong. You have no idea the horrible moments I had to go thought with my _maestro_ because of that. I couldn't even look him in the eyes. And still, we continued our itinerary. The funny part is yet to come. We were facing our contributor and I was kneeling down about to present my humblest excuses to him when something most unexpected happened: the lord himself came to us to offer his apologies for the inconvenience that we had encountered on our way to the _villa_. Then one of his men came with a velvet pillow to hand the brushed back to my _mestro. _Not only that, but the same old cape was now hanging by the arm of the lord's chair.'

'They had caught the thief?'

Leonardo smiled slyly. 'The _thief _had been the lord's child.'

'What?'

'Ha, ha… When they pushed Shiva in front of us to apologize it was a really shocking sight; all this added to the fact that the apologies consisted in an offence brought to me. It was really something to watch an attitude noble child blaming everything on me because I 'trusted a thief'.' Ezio noted again the shift of emotions in Leonardo as he went from happy to pensive at his last words, as if they had triggered some complex thoughts in the artist's mind. But in a second it was gone. 'So you see, you're not the only one to become victim of Shiva's caprices.' Leonardo looked around while walking as in trying to remember the old times.

'The fact that we actually 'befriended' is because of the long period of time I remained at the _villa. _Shiva's mother was a splendid woman, beautiful but in the same time her beauty was cold and distant. To tell you the truth she has always managed to make me feel uncomfortable when in the same room. It was enough of her to simply look at you to make you feel restless. And I am telling you, it wasn't because of my age. People working there for ages and they still looked gauchely when around her. That's probably what Shiva inherited from her best.' Leonardo smiled and threw an amused glance at Ezio, acknowledging that the man knew perfectly what he was talking about. 'That and Shiva resembles more to the mother than the father, which is a good thing considering that he had quite a dull appearance.' At that Ezio wanted to throw a spicy comment but decided against it. 'Except those two things Shiva was nothing like the woman! Everything else was from the father... the spirit of adventure, the incapacity of staying put; and above all, the stubbornness; always up to something. Like the lord, when Shiva had something in mind it was there to stay until he would have had it his way. When Shiva was quiet you would know that sh-' – Leonardo coughed at his own mistake. He got excited at the memories and he was forgetting to be careful '…you would know that he was planning something. The worse was that Shiva's father was letting him have his way. Always pushing him further and challenging him, infuriating the lady very much. She was always having a quarrel with the lord for letting Shiva having an unappropriated conduct.' Leonardo laughed. 'I vividly remember the argument they had because the lord would let Shiva wear trousers and go hunting with him.'

Ezio looked strangely at the amused artist.

'And what is wrong with that? What was he supposed to wear? Dresses?'

Lenardo froze. _Cazzo! _How could he be such an airhead?

'What I meant is that the lord would always let Shiva wear common clothes. They were nobles; the lady was a proud woman and she was always concerned of what kind of impression her child would make.'

'Well, she had all the reasons to be concerned. He was practically a pest.'

Leonardo clucked. 'Well, on this one I had to agree with _lo Messere - _Shiva was bound to torn those clothes of his most of the times, giving all the places he would run to. And, he was indeed a pest…to those he didn't like. Shiva tends to be mean to people he is intrigued with. His curiosity is easily triggered and this is one of the reasons why people always make fun of him, comparing him to a fox. Like a feline who plays with the prey, Shiva likes to push to the edge the people that interest... him. It's his own way of evaluating someone. I saw him doing the same with you these past days. And trust me, now he is far more mature and subtle than years ago. You have no idea of the hell I had to go through before he actually accepted me as a friend; always pulling pranks on me and intentionally make me go through embarrassing moments.'

'And you became his friend because….?' The man couldn't imagine a reason of why someone would want to befriend a guy who was taking you by a fool.

'Because once you come to know Shiva and accept him the way he is, with the fact that he will never play by your rules no matter what…well, he's more than a reliable friend. In truth that's what Shiva was missing then and is still missing now… a friend. The problem is that he simply refuses to have a friend regardless to how much need he has of one.'

From there on they continued to walk in silence. Ezio folded his arms over his chest and considered how this last part of the conversation triggered a scent of familiarity. He felt like he had come across this situation under different circumstances but he had no vivid memory of it. It could be just a _déjà_-vu. Before they noticed they were _a'l Mercato dei fiori._

'Now! I've done my part of the deal. You should respect yours too.'

'Ah yes… the woman. So, do you have anything in mind?'

'It's very hard to tell. This particular woman is quite hard to impress.'

'So, she's picky.'

'Right...picky.'

'Is she into art?'

'Well, yes, but I'd rather give her something functional… I have no doubt that she can easily get herself any object of art or value that she wants.'

'Something functional…'

'Something _lady-like_.'

Ezio looked in confusion at his friend's strange determination.

'Jewellery?'

But the artist wasn't convinced on that. 'If something catches your eyes.'

'Look, there are many types of women, really. I can't work on it unless you don't give me details. I take she's from nobility, _si?_'

'Yes. Let me see… She really has an eye for beauty. When she actually goes in society she is really hard to miss because she has refined tastes.' He stopped by a shop of fabrics. 'Ah…that dark blue would look perfect on her.'

Ezio tilted his head to have a better look. If that colour was among her tastes he had to give her credits – the royal blue was indeed for sophisticated persons. 'But unfortunately, at this right moment it's not exactly the perfect present. She might end up taking me by a joke.'

And now he was back to his weird thinking.

'Ok, I am starting to make a picture; something to look good on her but also not something grand. How does this woman of yours look?'

'She is quite tall and slim.'

That took some of the excitement away.

'Umm… her skin has a pale pigment with a firm cheekbones structure and eyes of a powerful amber colour. This is probably what makes her present appealing; it's the contrast between the power of the eyes and faint colour of her light ashed hair.'

Ezio registered all these while slowly walking through the stands. His mother used to come here quite often. She had always been an elegant woman and she wanted to keep it that way. He would also accompany her when he was little. He always loved to watch her content face when she would find something of her taste; and he also liked to follow this strange womanly habit of hers that he had soon discovered to be shared by all women. Truthfully, this was the place where he had learned his first lessons of how to please a woman. He smiled; those memories were indeed comforting. In the back of his mind he was trying to picture the woman Leonardo was talking about. He sincerely had not enough information over her but he wanted to make this right. Whilst she may or may not be an elegant woman as his mother was he wanted to come up with something tasteful. It was a great risk but if she won't appreciate it will be her loss. He really wanted to know those eyes that Leonardo had talked about. Form his description it looked like their power was intensified by the dimmed colour of her skin and hair. She definitely was a monochrome, with different shades of the same colour. What would catch his attention in such a woman?

He stopped. Looking on the wooden table he realised it was full of cosmetic. Then he also realised what made him stop.

'Leonardo, what about her lips?'  
The artist looked at him a little surprised by the unusual question.

'I am sorry?'

'What type of lips does she have?'

He had never thought about it so he took some moments to recall.

'Well, she doesn't have what you would call full lips. Not very, very thin either…Oh! But they're not small at all. On the contrary they are quite expressive.'

The artist went on with his uncomfortable rumbling but Ezio had now all that he needed. He stretched out his hand and took the small round box he had been eyeing. Inside it had a lip rouge the colour of intense blood. He smirked. It was perfect.

Leonardo stoped curious by the object of Ezio's interest.

'Let me have a look. Well this is indeed-'

'Hold it! I know what you are about to say. That it's an egregious colour. This might be a wild guess but you know her better. Wouldn't lips like this captivate your eyes in a pool of ecru? They would surely captivate me.' He ended his case with a smirk.

Leonardo continued to stare at the opened metal box. He had to agree with Ezio; this colour was eccentric but so very elegant. She will probably have a funny reaction but like it nevertheless. He grabbed the box and smiled slyly at Ezio.

'I'm not sure that I'd actually want that.' Which brought a bigger smile on Ezio's face. 'Ah, I am feeling like following the devil.'

Ezio laughed. 'Hey, you asked _me _for help.'

Soon after that Leonard accompanied the assassin at Santa Maria Novella where they said their goodbyes. Ezio started to look around and decided to encircle the church. His eyes fell on the assassin's symbol that was marking the secret entrance. He'll have to search for all the Seals to obtain the armour.

'There's one more of that at the _Basilica Santa Maria del Fiore.'_

Ezio didn't have to fully turn to see the cape that was now approaching him.

'Where do they lead?'

'Why so interested?'

'Well, I've always been a digger for secrets and hidden places.'

The man looked at the black cape and he remembered what the artist has said about the boy's adventurous spirit.

'Seals of the Assassins. There are six of them spread all over Italy.'

'Let's go. Today you're going to do the work.'

'So last night was just a bluff?'

'Don't sweat over it.'

They begun to make their way through the people in the streets.

'I saw you with Leonardo.'

'Have you been following us?'

'I said I _saw _you.'

'Why rob banks in the middle of the day anyway?'

'Because it will take a long time for al three of them. The good part is that we have two on the same road. If you'll be able to take both of them in one move it would be perfect.'

'So you are really going to stand and watch?'

'We're here.'

Indeed, they were on the only street of Firenze with two banks on the same street, at opposed endings. It was so because the owners were brothers and at their father's death they split the fortune. Since he was supposed to follow the same road Ezio was very familiar with the banks in _Firenze._

He looked back at the hood. Since their meeting he had been rather blunt in answers, not in a good mood at all. No jokes, no ironies. What could have been the reason? Then the cape stepped past him.

'Let's see what you got.' Ezio watched him move away stoping not very far from the entrance of one of the banks, leaning against a wall with his arms folded.

He evaluated his chances. Well… if he can create a ruckus big enough he can distract the guards from both entrances. But only agitating people won't be enough. He looked at the calm cape. That gave him an idea. It was payback time after all. He just needed a perfect timing. He waited until enough people were passing right in front of the guards. Then he approached the scene which caused the cape to look his way.

The thief had enough time just to see the sadistic smirk under the white hood before hearing the sound of metal drops on the paved ground. Shiva immediately looked at the boots to find coins scattered all over. Before the cape had the time to realise what was going to happen the street grew louder and an avalanche of hands and bodies stretched down towards, trapping it in the sea of people.

Ezio was beyond content with the result and when the guards left their spot was his time for action. Before entering the building he heard one of the guards yelling to a black hood to stop. Revenge was so sweet.

When he run out with the codex the hood was nowhere to see…but so where the guards. He sprinted to the other bank knowing that it won't take long for them to come back.

With the job done he stepped out, and through the mass of people he went past the returning guards.

With a smile on his face he looked up. The sun was slowly going down. Soon the sky will start to turn orange. He continued to walk down the street, right past a group of citizens when suddenly one of them grabbed him forcefully by the collar and pushed him in an adjacent alley.

'Listen here. You pull one more stunt like that and I'll-'

By now Ezio realised what had happened. He was still impressed how this fellow was able to move unnoticed.

'You'll do what? He raised an intrigued eyebrow. If that little fellow had the slightest impression that he could compare to him in a hand to hand combat something must have been wrong with his head.

As if realising the situation he let him go and started to walk back into the main road.

Ezio tugged at his clothes and followed him.

'That was such a childish behaviour!' The voice hissed.

'I hear that coming from you.' Ezio must have hit the spot since the figure hasted his steps.

'You are so full of yourself.'

'I'm sorry?' That was an unexpected reaction.

'To throw money on the street for people to act like savages even if it's just for a tactic. That's so …._vain.' _

'Oh don't tell me you even have morals now; funny thing for a thief. And I sincerely don't know in what kind of world you believe you live in. Turning people into savages is not my doing; it's their nature. And even if it were so that is probably the least horrible thing I am doing. I take lives. I am an Assassin. And mercy is one of the things that might end my life. So I rather live without it.'

The figure stopped and turned to face him. Ezio feared another hissed reaction. But moments of silence passed. Then the cape let out a noise that to Ezio resembled a snicker as it started to walk away.

'Good answer.' And that took him aback. '...but you are still a jerk.'

Before following him Ezio rolled his eyes. '_Grazie._' Then something on a nearby rooftop caught his attention.

'Wait here.'

Shiva turned to watch him climbing a building and disappearing on the roof. After some time he was back, coming down the road.

'Where have you been?'

'Ensuring my free pass in the bank. Where to?'

Not bothering to ask further the cape pointed towards another street.

'This way.'

Soon they reached a closed street.

'That's your target.'

Ezio looked at the bored guards. Well, this will be clean. He brought two fingers to his mouth and whistled.

'They're yours.'

Soon after, Shiva saw a guild of thieves jumping down on the street and running directly into the men positioned outside the bank. The guards started to run after them as a proof of their incompetence. Ezio saluted the cape with self-satisfaction and ran to the entrance.

Coming back the cape wasn't there anymore.

'Up here.'

There, on the tall building in front of him the figure was waving his way. He sprinted to the wall and started his ascension.

'How was that for stealth?'

'That was merely distracting tactics…both times.'

He took his time to consider the situation.

'True.'

The sky was already the colour of the blood by now. They were walking the roofs along the water canal.

'You have been awfully quiet today.'

'I don't remember even having a conversation with you before. But if the silence in your head is bothering you I can point it out to you as much as you want.'

'And now I remember why I preferred your silence.' Still, he felt the amusement in the boy's voice, which was an improvement.

'Do you make fun of all the people that you like to socialise with?'

This time the cape laughed which took him by surprise. And not only that; it also had that funny reaction he was starting to get used to.

'And who said that I like to socialise with you?'

'Leonardo did…in a way.'

The atmosphere was more at easy and for some reason he liked it, and the fact that the boy still had no face for him started to bother him less.

'Leonardo did. Well, sometimes he does talk too much, doesn't he?'

'Every time he gets excited.'

They both snickered at the joke.

'And what else did he tell you?'

'Well, not much. For some reason he seemed to be afraid to talk about you. He mentioned something about you transforming into a harpy to eat his lungs if he were to talk.'

'What?' The cape was clearly amused but confused as well. Ezio started to laugh. 'Not really; I just added the last part now.'

They jumped to the next roof.

'So, are you going to tell me more about yourself?'

'No.' That was a clear answer.

'Why not? Not trusting me?'

'No. You just don't need to know more. And I hate pushy people.'

'Leonardo mentioned that too.'

'As I said before, he speaks too much.'

After a long pause the cape spoke again. 'And apparently he leaves out other facts more important.'

'Like what?'

But the answer never came. So Ezio had to make sceneries in his mind. And of course, his conclusion made things worse.

'Listen…'

'What?'

'Can I ask you a question?'

'If you can handle the consequences.' Even if this was a joke Ezio wasn't really scared of any consequences the question might trigger.

'You and Leonardo…'

The figure stopped. So did Ezio and they were now facing each other.

'Since you know each other for a long time… were you at some point more than friends?'

'More than friends?' It sounded like an annoyed statement more than a question so Ezio decided not to beat it about the bushes.

'Are you Leonardo's lover?'

But again his question was answered with silence. Even if he couldn't see the face he felt the stare.

'Can I have the codex pages?'

Ezio was confused by the reaction. No yelling, no acting upon it.

'What for?'

'Safe keeping.'

'They are quite alright with me.'

'The pages, please.' Regardless the please at the end it was a clear demand.

Rather curious of where this would lead he took the pages form his shirt and handled them.

The next thing he felt were the gloved hands over his chest and the sudden warmth of the body on his. He felt the closure of the face near his but he still couldn't see much because of the hood and the scarf. Then the figure literally blew a hot breath in his nose and with that the hands violently pushed him from the roof.

His eyes widened and the panic of the impact with the pavement disappeared when the water swallowed him completely. He swam back to the surface and looked at the figure that was staring back at him.

'I did warn you about the consequences. And if you are so quick at jumping at presumption you should really cool your head first. Consider this my way of helping.'

And then it was gone.

* * *

When Leonardo opened the door it was only Shiva again. But the next thing she did was to push the codex pages in his chest.

'Take these.'

He had no real time to react when another figure jumped from outside right on her, taking her to the ground.

'What on earth?'

He looked petrified at the two figures struggling on the floor. Before jumping to separate them he quickly locked the door.

'You've went too far this time, devil.'

'Get off me, you baboon!'

'Hey! Hey! Stop this!'

But Ezio was determinate to pull that hood off. He was about to grab it when he felt a pair of teeth clenching on his hand. He loosened the grip and with Leonardo now down between them the cape managed to slip away and get up.

'He bit me! Leonardo, he bit me!'

But the artist was left to sigh at their childish behaviour.

'Oh, shut it! You asked for it!'  
'Will both of you just stop this? Do you even realise how childish your act is? Shiva, you managed to anger him again didn't you?'

'It's your fault actually.' The artist was shocked when she put the blame on him. But he was guessing that whatever had happened, it must have been related to his little lie.

'Ezio, you are all soaking! What happened?'

'He pushed me from a roof!'

Leonardo looked from the arm crossed thief to the annoyed assassin. He wasn't going to get anywhere at this rate.

'You should change right away!'

'I am fine". The assassins got up as well.

'You can't be fine like that!'

'No, I'll be leaving anyway.'

'You shouldn't. We should go for one of the two codex pages left in _Firenze_ in the morning, before the sunrise.'

'And you told me about this when?'

'I was supposed to tell you but never had the chance.'

'Look here! I won't be pushed around anymore! So you have to start speaking clearly right now.'

It was a moment of silence but the figure finally relaxed.

'We have two more codex pages to get and the sooner the better. When the nobles that have them will be told that several banks were robbed and each time a codex disappeared they won't believe it's a coincidence. So we have to act before that happens.'

Ezio was still a little angry but he realised his anger was useless right now.

'Fine. Leonardo, do you have something I could wear until these clothes will dry?'

'Of course.'

The artis went to the upper floor leaving the two alone.

Ezio eyed the cape as it made its way to the table.

'I guess it's two - one for you with this.'

The cape leaned on the table.

'I have no idea what you are talking about.' But the amusement in the voice showed the contrary. That's when Leonardo came back and handled him the clothes.

Ezio pulled the hood and took the cape and the chest belt down.

The artist, now that the things were settled again, went to pick the codex pages he had dropped.

Ezio took the blades and the assassin belt and put them in the nearby chair. When he proceeded to his shirt Leonardo looked his way. The shirt was off. That brought colour into the artist's cheeks and he spun around embarrassed. He looked up at Shiva. She was standing at the table reading from one of the codex pages he had decoded. Then, indignant he looked from the carefree woman to Ezio who was currently working on his trousers.

'Ezio!' he realised that his yelp had been too high. 'It would be decent if you would use the paper screen on your right to change.'

The man was amused by the reaction but he had no time to voice a joke.

'And you, Shiva! Don't you have the minimum of decency to at least turn around when a man is changing?'

The woman who interrupted her reading looked up at the artist and then at a half naked Ezio. The two of them stared at each other for different reason. In Ezio's head they were all men in the room so he had no reason to be modest. Shiva, on the other hand let her eyes roam over his body without the chance to let suspicions arise. Then she retook her reading.

'He doesn't have anything that I haven't already seen. But if you have a problem with that Leonardo, you should try to look the other way.' She made a pause only to continue in a mocking way. 'You should at least have the very decency of hiding your blush.'

Ezio looked at the artist and laughed, but nevertheless, he took the clothes to change behind the screen.

Leonardo approached the table.

'You should try to act like a _Signorina _from time to time.'

'When the occasion requires it.'

* * *

_Ezio got up from the chair when the door of the house opened. He jumped to the entrance. His father and Federico were back home._

_His mother got up and went to embrace Giovanni._

'_How was your trip my darling?'_

'_Milano was beautiful as ever; and tiering as ever.'_

'_Come, let's have dinner. You and Federico must be famished after such a trip.'_

_Giovani came to Ezio and hugged him._

'_I believe you took good care of the house and the family!'_

'_Ma certo Padre.'_

'_Salute fratellino!' Federico came and gave him a really powerful hug. He was in a rather good mood. Whilst they were all going for the table the two brothers started their usual jokes._

'_What brings you home so happily? Did you manage to put your hands on a girl whilst in Milano?'_

_Federico laughed full-hearted while taking a seat._

'_Even better. I managed to catch a fox.'_

_And there he went again. Federico always liked to play with him and sound mysterious when in a happy mood._

'_Really? I can barely contain my excitement.' Ezio felt the need to retort._

'_I know how you feel fratello. I can barely hold mine too.'_

_Their mother watched the two of them having their usual brotherly disagreements._

'_Indeed, there is quite a long time since I saw Federico so energetic.'_

_The man sipped from his glass of wine and smiled._

'_Reminds you of me when I first met you, doesn't he?'_

_That gave the woman some clear hints of what might have happened whilst the two were in Milano._

_And so did to Ezio._

'_So it is about a girl why you are grinning like that now?'_

'_I already told you but you don't want to believe me. It's a fox that caught my attention.'_

'_A fox?' He hated when Federico was trying to pull him by the leg. 'And what do you want to do with a fox?'_

'_Tame her.'_

_Ezio frowned and looked sceptically at his brother. _

'_Ha ha! And how do you plan do to that my son? A fox is not quite the easiest animal to tame.'_

'_I know. It requires a lot of patience; which makes things more interesting. Because it's so hard to tame one there won't be many fools to try.'_

_He took a bite from his plate. 'I believe you wouldn't last o single day without her biting your hand fratellino.' And then he laughed._

But Federico's laughter became more distant and more echoed until it vanished.

Ezio opened his eyes violently awoken from this old memory.

When he realised it had been a dream he tried to relax but he found himself jumping for a second time. Instead of the ceiling he found a dark hood lowered over his face as if death itself was staring at him.

'Get up. We're going hunting.'


	8. An eagle and two foxes

_**Capitolo Otto**_

* * *

Ezio watched once again with fascination the cape picking the lock of the door.

'Umm…will you remind me again why we're going through the main door?'

'Because I'd rather feel the ground under my feet than hung somewhere over a window. And the owner is away with the family.'

There was a click and the door cracked open. Two shadows slipped inside without anyone noticing.

'So this house is empty.'

'Maybe. You never know when things get out of hand. We better be cautious.'

As they were walking up the stairs Ezio listened carefully. Even if he was doing his best to tiptoe in silence the stairs were old and cracking from time to time. But what bothered him was that, in front of him, the boy was walking unseen and unheard. Not a single step.

'How do you do it?'

'Do what?'

'That! Walking without those dams steps cracking under your feet.'

The cape looked over the shoulder.

'I am a thief. I am supposed to be silent.'

'That didn't really answer to my question.'

The two went down the corridor until they reached a large oak door. Ezio opened it and slipped inside to have a look around.

'You know… I am not used to work indoors.'

'I've noticed.' The figure remarked with an ironic voice reminding him the way he had given them away in the Auditore _palazzo_. The thief went straight to the desk and started to inspect it.

In the meantime, the Assassin was trying to get used with the darkness. He looked around trying to distinguish various paintings on the walls. Then something caught his eyes and he went straight to the small, yellowish paper hung on one of the walls.

He smirked.

'Hey, you should come and see this.'

The cape looked up and did as asked. It only took Shiva steps to recognise the codex.

'Why would he keep it in plain sight?'

The thief eyed the wood frame in which the paper was grasped.

'Some people value more the place of provenience and the age of an object rather than its meaning.'

The gloved hands reached under the cape and brought a sharp, thin knife. The figure approached the codex and slipped the knife between the codex and the frame, carefully cutting the edges.

Suddenly they heard the sound of the stairs. Someone was coming their way.

In panic they watched each other.

'I though you said they were all away.'

'They are.'

Ezio hurried to the door and waited until the person reached the other side. Then he burst through and pinned the guy to the wall. His eyes widened when he saw the guard staring back at him. In a split of a second he let his blade pierce his chest.

'Assassin! The thieves are here!'

Horrified Ezio looked at the guard located at the base of the steps. The man took out the sword and started to run towards him but Ezio's biggest problem was the new wave of guards coming through the main door.

'_Cazzo!_ Shiva! Get out of there, we have to run!'

When the guard launched his way Ezio dodged the hit and thrust his right blade through his armour.

'Damn it! Didn't you hear me?'

He run back in the room and looked at the cape still working on the codex. He knew they were out of time so he ran to the figure and grabbed it by the wrist, pulling Shiva away through the other door of the room.

'The codex!'

'There is no time for it now. You have no idea of how many guards are inside the house.'

They continued the run through the corridor. Ezio kicked one of the doors and the two of them went inside the room. He went directly to the window and opened it.

'Come on.'

But when he looked back Shiva was standing in the middle of the room.

'What on earth is in your head? You won't stand a chance against that many swords!'

But when the cape refused to move he jumped back after him with the thought of pulling him away. Only that when he reached out for the wrist, the gloved hand gripped his upper arm and pulled him instead to the armoire inside the room.

The thief pulled the doors open and forcefully pushed Ezio inside.

It wasn't like the cape could overpower him but Ezio found himself too shocked to react.

He hit his back on one of the inside walls and took one of the dressed down with him, falling over his face. He felt another body being thrown over him and the doors shut. '_Ma che cosa-'_

'I am not leaving without the codex page.'

Ezio pulled the fabric off and was about to kick the door open again when he heard their pursuers entering the room.

He was concentrating to the noise outside when he felt Shiva moving. He looked at the cape. It was dark but the space enabled him to understand their position. They were facing each other with their backs on each of the side walls of the armoire. Well, Shiva was more or less siting in between his opened legs as the boy's own legs were bent on both of his sides. But the armoire wasn't large enough for two men, no man at all actually, so that the boy had to push himself in Ezio's lap. The man closed his eyes and forcefully clenched his jaw. He swallowed hard and tried to concentrate on anything else than the warm body of the boy. He listened to the guards approaching the window and convincing themselves that they had fled through. Ezio waited until the running ceased and convinced that it was safe to get out he grabbled the boy by the waist ready to push him up. But then he cursed his decision as the boy fought back and instead of lifting himself up he glued his body to Ezio's and covered his mouth with one gloved hand.

The assassin felt the warm breath into his right ear as the lips were almost touching his skin.

''tay. There is someone still in the room."

He listened to the whispered voice and tried to concentrate on the sounds outside. But his nose was sank in-between the crinkles of the black scarf and he felt intoxicated with the smell he had learned to curse. When, out of an involuntary reflex, he let his face slowly move between the neck of the boy and his hood he felt something tickling his nose and cheeks. He opened his eyes and tried to distinguish in the darkness the colour of the curly lock of hair. What happened was fast enough to wake him up from his stupid actions. They heard steps of the leaving guard and soon after the body lifted itself up, opening the door and getting out to fresh air in.

Ezio cursed himself and got out as well.

He ran after the cape, back down the corridor and into the room that they had left. The cape went directly to the wall and ripped the codex out of the wooden frame. Ezio looked down the corridor and decided that it was not an option anymore. Guard were currently running up the stairs. He quickly locked the door. He would have been able to kill them all but he was not sure of the boy's skills, and protecting both of them as a hard task at the moment. He ran to the window and opened it for the cape to jump outside and up the wall. When he pushed himself on the window frame the guards were heavily hitting the door to bring it down.

Shiva ascended as fast as she could and she was almost near the roof when an arrow got stuck in the wall right next to her left hand. She felt the adrenaline rising and knew that even if she'll reach the top Ezio would still be in danger.

She glanced over her shoulder ready to curse, only to see the archer being hit by a knife and fall.

She looked up. At the top she was greeted by an extended hand, gloved in brown leather, and a brown hood. She narrowed her eyes in annoyance as she recognised the figure but she accepted the hand nonetheless.

Unlike her, when Ezio reached the rooftop he was more than happy to see _La Volpe._

'Come. We must get away from this place.'

The three of them ran until the guards lost track of them. They reached an in-between roofs corner and once he and Ezio were up _La Volpe _offered once more his hand to Shiva but this time she rejected it. He found himself really intrigued by the act as she always liked to show off in front of him.

'Such a coincidence I was passing by to save your skins.'

'Don't flatter yourself, _Volpe.'_

'Well, it's refreshing to see Shiva working with someone. Ezio must have really charmed you.'

'Your jokes are humourless, old man.'

'And your presence is as enchanting as always.' the man laughed at her stubbornness.

Ezio looked from one to another a little confused by the type of interaction they were having.

'How did you know where to find us?'

'Well, the entire Firenze was talking about some thieves these past few days so I guess I found out the same way as the owner of the house did. And all he did was to take a measure of caution, unlike Silviani who is probably laying a trap for you two at this very moment.'

'Silviani?'

Shiva looked at Ezio and nodded.

'Yes. He had the last codex page.'

'Silviani was one of my father's associates.'

'_Was _indeed. They had an argument years ago that leads them into some sort of rivalry.'

'How did you -? Nevermind! That's a useless question anyway.'

'Ezio, Shiva never works on unknown ground; which brings me back to my initial curiosity. With what did you bribe Shiva to work for you? If it's money we must talk about a fortune.'

'He didn't _bribe _me. I came to _Firenze _after something and he managed to get in the way.'

Ezio was about to retort when _Volpe _laughed.

'So _le petite Renard _is still untamed.'

'Cut it out, _Volpe_! You may go by many names but that doesn't change what you really are. So don't compare the two of us.'

Shiva turned around and was about to leap to another rooftop when the man spoke again in a more serious tone.

'Either way, whatever plan you have you must rethink it. Silviani is already waiting for you and with the ruckus you made in this morning I highly doubt it that he'll be treating the situation easily starting now.'

'Do you believe that Silviani also has the other half of – '

'Probably.' Shiva suddenly cut off the , without another word she was about to leave when she remembered something. The cape extended the arm toward the older thief.

'I'd like it if you'd give back what you've taken.'

The man smirked.

'Consider it payment for my services.'

'I did not ask for any of your _services._'

Ezio caught the low hiss and with the corner of his eyes he watched _La Vople_ cougha laughter and bring his own arm up with a pouchof money in his hand.

'I see that the _fox_ has returned to you.'

The man still had the smile on his face but this time his voice held no amusement, if not, to Ezio it sounded like compassion**.**

With a flying move the black cape grabbed the pouchand put it back to its belt.

Shiva fingered the edges of the broach before closing the pouch.

'None of your business.' Then she turned to Ezio.

'Come on, it's not safe to stay in one place.'

He had no time to react because the cape had already jumped.

_La Vople _tapped him on the shoulder.

'Don't worry, you'll grow up and you'll make your voice hear over Shiva. Or you'll just bite your tongue and keep it to yourself like the rest of us.'

Ezio threw him a confused look.

'What on earth are you talking about, _Volpe?'_

But the man started to laugh and turned away.

'Until we see each other again.'

The assassin shook his head and went on his way also. He didn't need to follow the cape to know where it will go. And right now a little time on his own until he would reach Leonardos' was welcomed.

It was time to stop running and put some pieces of the game together. So _Volpe _knew the guy even better then he expected. Whilst Shiva seemed to be always on edge next to him, _Volpe _was in a good mood, ironic but even more, he seemed to be disturbingly gallant with the boy. Something was still unsolved for Ezio: _Volpe,_ who was elder never acted towards Shiva as if towards an inferior, unskilled thief. On the contrary, when he stopped smiling it was respect what Ezio read in his eyes. It was as if he was treating the boy as his equal. That reminded him of the dark moment that both of them shared when _Volpe _asked about a certain fox. It was what triggered Ezio's interest the most. And his heart beat even faster when he realised what _fox _he had talked about. It wasn't about a person, animal or even the French appellative the man had given to Shiva – _renard_ – the fox.

It was the broach – his brother's broach. But by the way _Volpe _put it, it might be that the broach hadn't belong to his brother at all.

'_Shiva – what kind of relation links you to my brother?'_


	9. Of high prices and fallen hoods

_**A.N: **_Well, not much to say except the fact that this might be the longest chapter ever written. I may be wrong since I remember overdoing it a couple of times now… Anyway, thank you very much to those who reviewed until now. It reminds me, that from time to time, my works are being read by someone and I really appreciate those who take one or two minutes from their time to write a feedback and give the writers their sincere opinion. So once again, thank you guys - you are brilliant.

Moving on, have a nice read with this new update.

* * *

_**Capitolo Nove**_

* * *

It was evening and after an entire day in which Ezio had been walking around his atelier, touching this and that, Leonardo was finally happy to look up from his work to see a nonchalantly seated assassin, currently yawning out of boredom and sleepiness. He glanced up the stairs and cursed Shiva for her sudden outburst of aristocracy. As if the two had already made a habitude out of it, Shiva arrived first and announced that she'll go to get some sleep (no evil deed here since she hadn't sleep for the last 30 hours) and '_rethink the present situation'_ . After that he thanked heavens that Ezio was nothing like Shiva and when he arrived some minutes after he was kind enough to clearly explain what had happened. For a second he wonder what the day would look like with both of them to come back at the same time. But the problem at hand was that even if Leonardo had told him that Shiva was going nowhere and that _he_ was currently sleeping, Ezio would still refuse to trust the '_sly boy'. _That's how they ended up spending an entire day together. Not that Leonardo minded it, but he felt like a pass time while Ezio waited for the 'sleeping _signorina' _to wake up and go on an evening walk, walk that mind you, the artist preferred to skip given the increase of adrenaline.

On the other hand Leonardo understood the man's lack of confidence. The artist himself had a feeling that Shiva was planning something shady, but for different reasons. He was afraid that, under the pressure of danger she might take all the problems on herself. He simply hoped that her sense of guilt wasn't that powerful and that she wasn't that harsh with herself.

'Listen Leonardo…'

The artist looked again at the other man. When he saw on his face the same difficulties in speaking that he had felt in his voice, he frowned. Something seemed to be troubling the young man.

'With what can I be of help, Ezio?'

'Well, this is a …delicate matter so to speak.'

Leonardo straightened with interest when Ezio scratched the back of his head gauchely.

He signed him to go on.

'I don't want you to read too much into it or anything…'

When the artist showed even more interest, Ezio decided to go on with this since he had already spoken.

'You are..umm… you know…'

Somehow the artist felt that whatever Ezio was aiming at, the least he will be able to do out of this conversation was to have a good laugh.

'Aaaam…?'

'You know! I mean you are not very interested in women.'

Leonardo took a second to understand what Ezio was babbling about but he couldn't hide his amusement.

'Go on.'

'Out of curiosity… What-… no. _How_ do one realizes that he… like boys…men?'

'I suppose the same way you realize you like women. There is no difference I do believe. You just feel attracted to someone.'

By now Leonardo had a hard time trying to remain serious. He wondered what was in his friend's head for asking such questions.

After a short debate with himself Ezio looked again at his friend.

'Does smell count?'

'I am sorry?' he asked confused.

'I mean… does liking the smell of someone make you… that?'

Leonardo had to look down to his feet to concentrate not to laugh. If he guessed it right his little game had had a bigger success that he would have ever dared to expect. When he was sure that he had everything under control he looked up.

'Of course, smell is one of the things. But you can't really say just by one sudden thing that fascinates you. There are many other factors like the physic, the mind, the attitude…. But why am I talking to you about this sort of things? From the words I hear in _Firenze_ you know very well how to respond to attraction and how to love… a _woman _that is. I believe it must be the same. The way you know you like women it's the same way you know you like men.'

When Ezio seemed like he wouldn't continue this discussion Leonardo crossed his arms in front of his chest and looked him straight in the eyes.

'But why the sudden question?'

'Just... out of curiosity.'

'Oh.' But Ezio's gawky smile and his faked relaxed position gave him away in the sharp eyes of the artist.

He faked his return to his papers when Ezio spoke again.

'Yes?'

_Damn. _He was to eager keep his straight face.

Even if Ezio felt the excitement in the artist's voice he put it on the behalf of the taboo subject.

'Could…could a man, that all his life was clearly attracted to women, one day decide that maybe he swings the other way?' When he saw the bemused expression of the artist Ezio tried to overcome his embarrassment. '…or the other way around?'

'Well…I guess everything is possible.'

Leonardo saw the assassin's face turn pale.

'But I don't think things happen, just like that.' And he clapped once to make things clear. 'Why do you ask? Have you recently experimented something?'

Ezio started to fumble_. _Leonardo smiled showing all his teeth. 'Is this about Shiva?' he stopped to control his laughter. 'Does Shiva make you feel w-'

But he stopped suddenly when they heard a window from upstairs slam.

'Oh dear…'

And whilst the artist voiced their common fear, Ezio flew up the stairs to find himself alone in a room covered in darkness, with the curtains waving slowly in the rhythm of the wind blowing through the opened window.

'_Al diavolo!'_

He ran back downstairs and gave the artist a look that made him understand the situation.

'Oh dear. I had a feeling this might happen.'

'You _had a feeling?_ You told me to trust- '

'Ezio, I do fear this is not the time. Shiva is capable of doing really reckless things.'

'Like going to Silviani alone?' Though what Ezio voiced wasn't a question if not a somber confirmation.

'Please go and make sure she is alright!'

'What?'

But the artist was too worried to give importance to his mistake and Ezio was too concerned over the sudden change of situations to stay behind.

'Go! Please!'

The assassin put everything behind and ran towards Silviani's house.

He stopped in the dark of the streets to see the heavily guarded door of the banker's villa. He wondered if Shiva was already inside. When he looked up to one of the windows to the second floor he got his answer. He couldn't act reckless and he had a feeling that this place was webbed with guards – but he knew that the simplest way to track the cape down was by following its steps. For some reason he felt his adrenaline rushing and he had a very bad feeling about this. He jumped on the wall of the building next to him and started to make his way up. He felt the guard right above him and waited for the guy to step away and stealthily attack him from behind. It was dark but by activating his eagle vision he was able to see guards set on positions everywhere. When he opened his eyes again everything came back to normal. What on earth was on Silviani's head to hire so many men? What was worth of such protection? But then again Ezio had learned better of people's dirty nature. He wondered if all those men weren't actually there for protection but for offensive; Silviani wasn't protecting his values. He was hunting the hunters. But then again, Shiva had somehow managed to get past them unnoticed. Unfortunately, that thought alone wasn't enough to stop Ezio's mind from the rush. He had no knowledge of the boy's fighting skills and remembering Leonardo's concern he knew that if the guy were to get in some kind of problems another pair of arms was more than welcomed in a direct confrontation. So he did what his reason told him to. He took the jump, landing right above the opened window, and unheard and unseen he leaped inside. He walked down the silent corridor. If someone were to ask him, it was way too silent. In what kind of troubles had he agreed to get into when he met Shiva? He had already passed by many rooms and there was no sign of the cape. By all he knew he could have already passed by him. He hated the guy, really. He was so quiet and agile whilst he currently felt like a clog rolling down the corridor. Of course he wasn't making that much of a noise but comparatively… It wasn't like he was jealous of anything but a trick or two learned from the guy wouldn't do him any wrong. He was really thankfully that the red spots downstairs were talking loud enough to cover any possible noise. He was about to walk up the stairs to the next level when with the corner of his eyes he caught a glimpse of a quick flash jumping from the end of the balcony where he was right above the heads of the soldiers to the banister of the other corridor, on the opposed wall, and disappearing around the corner.

_How on earth did he-? And those guys didn't even flinch…_Ezio knew he wouldn't able to do that without the guards alerting the entire house but he didn't exactly have the time to run up another level and descend on the stairs on the other part of the villa either. By that time he would have lost the cape for sure. So he took a deep breath and ran along the corridor of the main stairs in hope that the darkness would keep him away from any prying eyes. He waited not a second to see if anyone had noticed his presence and continued his stealth-run down the corridor, in hopes to catch up with the cape. When he reached an opened room it reminded him of the painting gallery at his villa**. **He heard movement and ran to hide behind one of the pillars. When he glanced past it he saw his target taking a painting from one of the faces of another pillar and putting it down. Then one of the hands went inside the wall.

_Target! _That's when the word echoed into his mind and he felt a cold shiver run down his spine. Something was … Had he ever thought of what Shiva looked like when he had his vision activated? He tried to frenetically remember. The night at the _Auditore villa, _the streets, and now…inside the house… What colour had the cape been glowing? And tonight… when he first caught glimpse of it… at least now, when the cape was his target … _it should have been glowing yellow_. He deactivated his eagle vision to confirm it was the cape he was currently watching. _It should have been glowing anything but__** red. **_He slipped in the pitch darkness and he approached the other side of the pillar where the cape was. He was about to corner Shiva when suddenly he was pinned to the wall, the cold blade of a knife pressed over his neck.

'Why did you follow me?'

But Ezio didn't react to the whispered threat. He dreadfully watched the cape, knowing that he had caught the pair of scintillant eyes hiding beneath it.

'Why are you an enemy?'

'What?' At first the cape sounded really surprised but the anger in its voice was still there.

'Why do I sense you as an enemy?' His voice was low also and reflecting the same tearing feeling.

Thethief simply stared at him for a couple of seconds before Ezio felt the body in front of him tense. When he thought he should be prepared for an attack the cape shoved him harder into the wall before letting go and hiding the blade back.

Ezio closely followed every move, catching glimpse of the codex page before the cape fell, covering it again. The figure turned its back and instead of paying attention to him, started to inspect the wall opposite them.

'So you say that you picked me up as an enemy. Hmmm…'short silence '…maybe I_ am_.' Shiva started to gently knock on the wall. 'You seem to have forgotten that I am after the same piece of artifact as you are.'

The figure half turned to face him.

'And once I get my hands on it I am not going to give it up. I am a thief, not a hired retriever.' Then the cape turned its attention back to the wall.

'I have no idea of what foolish things Leonardo might have told you about me but he doesn't understand one thing. If I treat him differently, and I act all good and caring with him that's because of the long way we go; and because of the circumstances he has become what I call a _friend.'_

Shiva continued to tap the wall until a sound of emptiness echoed to their ears. The thief let its gloved hands to roam on the surface. 'And he suddenly expects that this applies to every person I meet or work with. He has this theory about some people who act tough when they actually hide an artistic and sensible heart.'

One of the hands stopped and gently pushed the wall with the fingers. At that movement the wall parted and revealed a thin door of the same texture. With a more forceful push the cape opened the door to its full and took a few steps inside on the rough staircase made of stone. The thief turned back to look at the man and spoke with a hint of amused irony.

'He is a funny guy to have around, isn't he?'

Ezio felt himself boil in anger. He couldn't care less what this guy was talking about but the way he was speaking about Leonardo, who called this individual a friend and was worried about him, was making him lose his temper. He took a step further with the desire to grab the fellow by the neck when, in darkness, the cape crouched and took out the shining blade.

'I hope you have good footwork.'

He stopped and frowned. _What was the thief up to?_

'_Che co-'_

'You'd better run,_ chéri ._Fast!'

The cape slashed the knife along its left boot and only then Ezio caught glimpse of the thin tread**, **now cut. He had no time to step after the cape when a door made of iron bars fell with a loud thud, separating them. The cape got up.

'I'd wish you good luck but you know…. Competition is a _puttana._'

With that amused voice and an ironic reverential bow Shiva disappeared down the stairs into the darkness.

'_Cazzo_!'

Ezio panicked. He heard the shouts of the guards from downstairs but he still didn't move out of amazement.

The fool had activated the trap, practically blocking himself in. What on earth was in his mind?

But the Assassin had to move fast as the clatter of angry steps was rapidly approaching him. Well, there wasn't much to lose now.

He went directly for the main exit facing the first wave of armed men. He took the first one in one shot, using him as a shield and slicing the neck of the attacker. With a forceful move he pushed both bodies down the stairs at the running guards. This would buy him some time. He leaped over the banister and gripping with both hands the candelabrum he swung himself to the ground. Hitting the ground he rolled over the hard pavement taking from the impact and like an eagle he launched himself at the petrified guards from the entrance. Without looking back he ran through the door and using his speed he pushed himself up on the wall of the building he had come from. He jumped to the next one and took out one of the archers with his blade, throwing a knife to the second one before the guy could give him away. He ran to the next roof, putting to sleep another guard. Now he had a clear view over the entire rectangle shaped villa, with its inner court. All the nearby roofs were guarded by archers. If he could only have the time to make a clear path for Shiva to - … Why was he even concerned about that guy? After all, he has seen the way the boy acted… Regardless, he was still worried. Maybe it was Leonardo's troubled image or maybe it was something else but he couldn't leave without making sure that the boy had fled the place in one piece.

He crouched and rested one of his arms on his right knee. If he wanted to get the boy out of there he had to predict his moves. Was he able to leave that place after he deliberately caught himself in the trap? If so, what exist would he use? His trail of thoughts was interrupted by the sudden increase of agitation. He frowned as he saw guards positioning ladders on the walls of the building and rushing towards the roof. Looking on the nearby roofs he saw the archers taking positions, all aiming towards the upper level of the villa. Ezio scanned the roof to see none other than the old Silviani himself, stepping off from one of the ladders.

His mind started to work fast. Something bad was happening. And if not, something terrible was about to happen. His attention from Silviani was literally blown away when a chimney exploded. Ezio instantly knew what was happening but that still didn't stop him from holding his breath. The guards took their swords out and stood their ground. Silviani, who was on the other length of the roof, took some moments before signing to one of the guards to go and check. The man, who was the closest and halfway to both ends of the roof, carefully approached the smoking hole. He cautiously bended to look down when everybody saw him froze and in an instant falling and tumbling down the roof, hit by what had probably been a thrown knife. Then, some seconds of silence followed until a pair of gloved hands appeared from the hole, the body soon to be lifted. The cape got up from its crouching position and without a single movement started to scan the place. Ezio watched him slowly sidestepping to the right to look down, into the street. It was a long way down and there awaited other guards. Then the cape looked up, probably noticing the archers dispelled all over the area**. **It was as clear to the cape as it was to Ezio that whatever move would it try to pull this was a dead end.

'Giovanni warned me of this little visit of yours years ago. But I never suspected that it would take such a long time for the grand thief whom he was so admiringly talking about to come and rob me of my possession. You are very late, my dear. _Three deaths late_ in fact.'

Silviani yelled over in amusement so that he could be heard by the cape. But the cape wasn't the only one hearing it. And both Shiva and Ezio knew whose the three deaths had been, which maddened the Assassin to no end.

'Don't misunderstand me. Giovanni's death didn't do me any good. He had been my friend and associate for years. I even tried to act my ways to protect him and avert that unjust punishment that those who betrayed him sentenced him to.' He took a pause and continued in the same unaffected voice. 'But it seems that they were much more powerful than he had expected. I did try to help him even after he betrayed me.' When the cape didn't give him the satisfaction of reacting to his insult he continued. 'Because he did betray me. When we decided to part the two pieces we agreed it was for the best. Even so he told me that he had a plan: that when the time comes someone whom he trusts will come to find the answers we were searching for. I believe that was you. But that meant to leave these valuable objects in the hands of an outsider! Someone who couldn't appreciate the great danger that us, Assassins, are fighting against. I was the one that helped him to retrieve the criptex from over the ocean, and he expected _me _to let such an important object to be touched by the hands of a _nobody?'_

The more he talked the more the man seemed to lose his nerves. He stopped and he was visibly breathing hard.

'Now; surrender or you will not be able to leave this place alive.'

From now on there was no further movement. Everybody was waiting for a sign of some sorts. No matter how much it angered Ezio he found himself in the same position as the others: waiting. He felt incapacitated as he alone could not act quickly enough without sending the guards into attack. He wanted so bad to slice the man's throat even after he had openly claimed to have been one of his father's allies - an Assassin. He let his palm turn into a fist and his blade activated. Any sign…any chance he would have. But right now he knew that Shiva's only chance to survive was to follow the man's orders.

Then it happened. He saw the cape tense and with immense speed, running directly towards the guards.

'Shoot! Take the thief down.' The unexpected reaction of the cape panicked Silviani and he started to yell uncontrollably. Ezio swallowed and hold his breath at the suicidal move.

The cape sprinted like an arrow towards the running guards coming its way. At meters distance the thief pushed forcefully on the ground and flipped over their heads, arms opened to leave two falling bodies behind. Making its way to the next men the figure danced through the attacking soldiers, ducking, swaying and rotating through the slaughter that the arrows were leaving behind, hitting men without target. At the feet of two guards the cape flipped to the ground between the two, and up again with equal force, screams of pain let in the night as the muscles of their hamstrings broke through the cut and they fell to the ground.

'Shoot the damn thief!'

As the yelling continued the figure added even more power into its feet. In only a split of a second Ezio though he saw the body convulsing. But as soon as it appeared it was gone and he watched the thief hurling over the line of guards, pivoting in midair and fall like a screw over the edge of the roof, disappearing into darkness and deep down into the water of the canal.

He froze. Everything happened in a matter of seconds but when he let himself exhale he felt as if hours had passes. He watched Silviani throwing his arm frenetically, yelling orders after orders and the guards running each his way, to disappear as fast as they could to execute the orders.

'After him, you fools! Don't let the thief escape!'

Ezio, on his behalf didn't lose another second and spinning around he found his way down and along the bridge. From there we watch the guards running down the stairs to the bank, searching the dock and the boats nearby, thrusting their swords in the water and throwing rocks at every wave that the water was making.

The assassin narrowed his eyes. If Shiva escaped the fall, the boy surely wouldn't have slacked around. He looked to the other part of the city, separated by water, and then retook his free run. He quickened his steps to the docks. He watched the nearby isle of land and walking along the wooden planks he carefully eyed the reeds for any movement**. **But there was no sign of the cape. What other escape route was there? He needed to get out of water fast and swimming in a diagonal wouldn't have done him any good. Then again it was Ezio's own fault for stopping on the bridge. By now, the cape, which might as well swim as fast as it runs, could be far away. The white hood turned around and started to walk up the stairs. Then the wall to his left shined in the light of the moon. A part of the stone wall was wet. Ezio stopped and put his hand over the wall. Maybe the boy had indeed passed this way.

'Water.'

But when he took his hand away and brought it to his eye level he froze at his worst fear. His palm and fingers were now darkened in the colour of blood. He looked around. At his feet the pavement was splashed in dark red. Looking up the stairs, the wall had been marked with traces of red palms, up to the end of it. Eyeing the stain of blood from where he was he realized that Shiva mush have made a stop here, falling down because of the pain. He crouched and he started to inspect the grass until his hands found something. Taking it up it proved to be the tail of an arrow. He looked to the other side of the step **–** its tip lay there, broken. He cursed. How could he have missed all of this the first time? He got up and realized that the boy must have used the wall for support. He ran up to follow the traces but at the end of the stairs was nothing. Without any traces the city was practically a maze and for sure Shiva was smart enough to cover everything up. He thought of running up the rooftops and search for the cape from up there. But there was also the fact that Shiva was wounded and from all he knew there was a single place where the cape could go in search of help. He hoped that he was right and by the time he'll get there -.

He ran as fast as he could to Leonardo.

Ezio hit the door open and with a look of unrest he searched around the room only to find Leonardo, up on his feet, after the shock he must have given him. His worries grew. He let the hood down.

'Has Shiva come back?'

'What?' The artist started to look around fearing any possible bad news. 'N-no. What happened? Did you meet-?'

'Shiva has been injured!' Ezio felt the artist's misgiving and anxiety getting over him as well.

'When? How? Where is sh-'

'I . don't. know!' He tried to regain his breath. 'It all happened so fast. To tell you the truth I am even surprised that he managed to get away alive! I must go and find the boy!'

He was about to pull the hood back and turn when Leonardo caught his arm.

'Wait! Do you even know where to start looking?'

When the Assassin was about to breathe another angry 'no' a loud noise came from upstairs; something had hit the floor above them – hard!

Still, both of them waited in silence. The next second a black shadow covered the first steps and in an attempt to jump once again, it fell down to the ground like a wounded bird, lain dead.

'Shiva!' The artist run to the body and when he was about to lift it and turn it to face him the figure moaned and helped him in his actions.

_Oh! Santa Maria!_ Thanks haven you are alright.' Leonardo let out a cry of pure relief.

'I wouldn't bet too much on that!' The figure managed to let out a breath between the clenched teeth.

Sarcasm was a very good sign. The artist was about to hug her out of happiness but at the sight of his arms covered in blood he remembered that the situation was still critical.

'Ezio! Quick! Lay Shiva on the table!' The second the man crouched down and caught the body, Leonardo disappeared under the curtains into the next room.

'I need those clothes off to inspect the wounds!'

Ezio took the slim body without any difficulties and was on his way to accomplish the orders he had received.

'_Dieu_ (God), tell Leonardo to stop yelling! He is making my ears bleed.'

He smirked and for a second let himself calm down as well. This fellow didn't know how to shut up and respect people even when he was dying. Even so, his heart beats were still racing as he knew perfectly that danger was far from over.

'He's not yelling. It's not our fault you ears are oversensitive.'

He gently placed the body in a sitting position and started to unfasten the cape.

'I am fine. I can-' But when the gloved hands griped his the body convulsed in pain.

'Sure. I believe you but let me do it.'

Before the hands would fall because of exhaustion they grabbed one of his and brought it beneath the cape. Confused he soon felt an object being slipped inside his hand. When he folded he knew exactly what he was holding.

'I hope this thing was worth this damned death race.'

Ezio was at unease but now he frowned in ire too.

'This is not the time. You can barely breathe!' He put the artifact away and he felt the body fall with all its weight in his chest. If it weren't for the powerless breathing in his neck and the hard battle of the head to stay pinned on his shoulder he would have thought that Shiva had lost his consciousness.

He started again to unfasten the cape from over the shoulder. He knew Shiva must be exhausted since the entire night had affected his body also and if it weren't for the worry and anxiety his own eyes would close under the weight of exhaustion. After he pushed the cape aside he made his way to the vest. He needed to get all those soaked layers down fast and let the skin breathe. With the vest just unbuttoned he went for the shirt half unbuttoning it, half pulling it open. Ezio pulled the shirt from the trousers and pushed all the layers open. Then, in the red shadows that the fire was placing upon them he stopped his every movement. After a moment of silence, as if he had lost his rationality, he brought one hand up and slowly walked it along the line where the white, now stained in blood, binding was with impertinence pushing up the outline of two round breasts. He gently caressed the exposure of skin, to be brought back to his senses by the unconscious shiver of the thin body. He took the figure by the shoulders and pushing it up from his chest, Ezio found himself gazing at long light ash hair freed by the fallen hood. His eyes roamed in panic along the rich tresses, to the parted lips, fighting the air in and out, and back again to the irregular rising chest. He bought one hand up and cupped one of the cheeks, bringing the face up, into the semi light of the fire. The eyes were half closed slowly losing the battle of consciousness. By accident his thumb touched the corner of the lips and without realizing Ezio leaned closer, swallowing hard.

'Please step aside!'

Leonardo woke him up and the man followed the instruction more or less as he was pushed aside.

Ezio watched as the artist did the rest of the job and laid the body on the table. He followed the man's hands as they inspected the wound and went inside the box he had previously positioned on the table in search for his tools.

'Please Ezio, take a seat. If I am going to need your help I'll ask.' The artist turned around to smile reassuring.

'I believe you need some rest also. Try to relax. I'll take care of her.'

Half of fatigue, half of confusion he stepped backwards and when he felt the chair behind him he let his body fell into it. Before his consciousness left him he was able to see Leonardo help the woman on her stomach so that he could treat the ugly gash that the arrow had caused when it penetrated the lower back. The last thing that his eyes memorised and took with them in his deep sleep were the golden pair of eyes watching him in the darkness and the form of the round breasts pressed on the hard surface of the table.

""""***""""

It was the loud thud next to his ear that awoke Ezio, sending him into alert. He gripped the arms of the chair and took notice of what was happening. Only at the sight of a cursing Leonardo he managed to relax. It was morning. He must have fallen asleep again in the chair of the artist's atelier. He watched Leonardo shouting at the men that were currently depositing boxes in his atelier. He looked down to his right to see one of those boxes, filled with sculptures and tools. That must have been what had taken away his sleep. The man brought one hand to his eyes and rubbed gently to chase the sleep away. He felt as if he had been awoken from a true nightmare, though he couldn't remember what it had been about.

'Put those boxes in the inner court. _GENTLY!'_

Ezio watched his friend walking inside the atelier with a box and putting it on a bench.

'I want these careless men out of my place as soon as possible. They have already broken enough precious working material.'

The Assassin looked amused at the fretful show the artist was giving.

'Can I be of any help?'

'No, not really.' He tapped his forehead thinking of something.

Then a thought hit Ezio.

'Shiva! How is-?' How could he forget last night events so easily?

'Ah! Fine, fine. Just fine.'

They heard a quick row of noises from outside.

Leonardo looked towards the door.

'What on earth are they doing?'

Then another, more powerful breaking sound followed.

'I told you to be careful with those!' he sprinted towards the exit. 'Those animals.'

'Oh, Ezio! Right, you can actually help; I forgot! Could you please take that clean change of clothes and bring it to the next room? Shiva asked for them. You can leave them on the chair next to the entrance. I beg of you. _Grazie._'

Ezio laughed at Leonardo's exasperation then with a shake of his head he went to the table to take the clothes.

He went to the room and giving the curtain away he wanted to throw the clothes on the chair and make a joke on the boy's condition. Then he stopped from moving, speaking and even breathing (he had a feeling that he had been facing this kind of situations too many times in these past few days). He narrowed his eyes in alert and closed his mouth after realising it had been open for quite some time now. Without another word he spun on his heels and stepped outside. He froze with the back to the entrance and questioned his own eyes. If he wasn't having any visions at cause of tiredness, inside Leonardo's, _the _Leonardo who had his issues regarding the weak sex, ….inside Leonardo's improvised bathroom, during one normal morning, was a naked woman. He blinked to chase away the image of the long wet hair and naked back that had just submerged from the water basin when he entered the room.

That's when Leonardo made his way back inside the house after slamming the door.

'Those irresponsible fellows! They wouldn't know how to treat art if their own lives were at stake.'

When he calmed down he looked at a stoned Ezio, the clothes barely sustained by a weak grip.

'What happened to you?'

'Listen Leonardo, I don't want you to panic or anything but… there's a _woman _in your bathroom.'

With his hands on his hips the artist looked at the man in front of him as if he had been hit by something and had forgotten who and where he was. Still, he had to give credits for his well-kept sense of humour. He looked to one side and then, as if it was the most natural thing, back at the poor man.

'Yes. And?'

'And!'

'Ezio, why didn't you give Shiva the cloth-oooooooooooh. Wait!' It was the artist's turn to be shocked. 'What _exactly_ do you remember from last night events?'

Ezio straightened and looking at the ceiling he tried to concentrate. It was true that he had a feeling that he was missing something since he had woken up but he couldn't put the finger on it.

Leonardo knew that everything came back to Ezio when his eyes widened ready to pop up. Then, in less than a second his expression was the mirror of shock and anger.

'You! You – and Shi-…_SHE!' _he was frenetically pointing to the artist and to the room behind him when the clothes from his hands were swiped away. He double blinked as a slender figure wearing nothing but a towel passed by him.

'Thank you.'

'You! All this time you have been lying to me, taking me by a fool!'

The woman slowly turned and Ezio stopped himself from stepping back under the sudden piecing gaze. If he thought under the hood that pair of eyes flashed dauntingly now he had to stand his ground in order to face them like a man.

'I don't remember ever doing something that would mislead you; lying even more so. As I said before it is your own fault for building false presumptions.'

He watched this woman, standing tall in front of him, with her long heavy hair falling past the towel that was poorly hiding her forms, unfazed by the fact she was close to naked.

'And if you are looking for someone to place blame onto then you should talk to Leonardo. He was the only one that intentionally fed your misunderstanding concerning my gender.'

'Shiva! Don't point at me. It was a simple joke and you know you enjoyed it as much as I did.'

The woman rolled her eyes. 'I highly doubt it. Oh, and thank you for the new clothes.'

She turned around and walked to the same screen Ezio had used days ago.

The artist looked at the clothes. 'Well, I had something else in mind… more _feminine,_ but surely you would have disagreed.'

'Of course I would have.'

And before she fully disappeared behind the screen she let the towel fall.

'Shiva! Can you at least pretend to act like a decent _signorina?_'

When he looked back at Ezio he felt cornered under the powerful gaze.

'Oh, you can't be that mad over an innocent joke?'

'Innocent? You call that _innocent?_ Do you even know what kind of nightmare I had to go through because you – you convinced me that she's a _he_?'

The young man slapped himself.

'I was such a fool, tormenting myself like that night and day.'

'Tormenting?' Leonardo tried to play clueless but his overly amused face gave him away.

'Leonardo, can you come here and give me a help?'

Both men looked at the panel.

'With what?'

'I want to bind myself and I can't do it alone.'

'Are you an idiot? You narrowly escaped death, you have a serious injury and you want to stop yourself from breathing also? Did the hit affect your head too?'

'But I feel more comfortable like that.' The voice protested like a scolded child.

'Nonsense! Treating your breasts so barbarically doesn't bring comfort at all. At least now, when you came to me for aid, like many times before might I add, you will listen to me and treat your body properly.'

His lecture was followed by a moment of silence and the swish of clothes.

'Old man!' It was more of a silent swear but both men heard it clearly, the statement revolting the artist even more.

'I. am. not. an. old. man!'

'You act like one!'

Ezio looked at the weird interaction between the two. Couldn't Leonardo see that this woman was taking pleasure out tormenting him?

When she came from behind the screen she was fully dressed in a pair of black trousers and a white shirt, poorly buttoned on the upper part. Not to mention that the wet hair wasn't helping the situation at all. Leaving details aside Ezio caught glimpse of the treated wound, noticing the white bandage through the thin shirt. She must have replaced it when she changed because he remembered the one on her back soaked in water and blood when she had dropped the towel.

The woman took a seat on the table, pushing herself up slowly not to cause any pain. She crossed her legs and looked down at her bare feet.

'I wish I could put my boots on.'

'Well, the longer the time, the better. It will keep you out of troubles as you can't climb walls barefoot.'

'Is that a challenge?' She smirked pryingly.

'No. That's an order.'

'Pfff…'

She jumped in shock when Ezio forcefully stopped in front of her and pinned both of his hands by her sides.

'You!'

Shiva blinked.

He was about to continue after a closer examination of her face. Her hair was currently some tones darker because of the water, it was messy and probably falling more heavily than it would normally. But accidentally his eyes fell into the generous cleavage. For Ezio it was no problem to guess the form of the breasts and thinking about it they weren't even big enough to need bound so he saw no reason why she was deliberately showing off. Well… there was enough of a difference from when they were covered by the bindings but Ezio still preferred a richer chest.

'You know…' Her voice broke his trail of analysis. 'With the risk of it sounding like a cliché …_my eyes are up here._'

And to prove her point she shoved her face right under his and forced him to look at her from the same eye level. Ok, so maybe at such a closure Ezio did feel intimidated by her eyes.

He straightened.

'I wanted to tell you this.' He took his time and with a perfect serious face he continued. 'I am really glad that you are a woman. This fact alone took a heavy burden off my shoulders.'

Saying that the woman was confused was an understatement. She watched him with big, questioning eyes and Ezio thought that this might as well be more frightening than her glares.

'Erm…ok.' She looked even more confused at the artist, who was slowly turning as red as his hat trying not to laugh.

'Umm. Is there something I should know?'

'Well, you see –'

But Leonardo's words were cut by a threatening Ezio.

'One word about it and you'll deeply regret to have even started this bad joke.'

'I am a man of honour, Ezio! And you know that I would never try to taint another's honour!'

But the sly smile made Ezio wonder of what the artist was in reality capable of.

'You know what? I don't want to know. Especially when men honour is involved.' Shiva rolled her eyes and looked over her shoulder on the table.

Suddenly her face became serious. She grabbed a wooden box and opened it; inside were the two pieces of the orb. She got them out and all the attention was on them. For some seconds she played them in her hands, attaching and reattaching. If they were supposed to interact of some sort it didn't have any effect right now.

She put them together and threw them at Ezio.

He caught them with both hands and stared at them for the longest time.

'Sorry. They seem pretty useless right now.'

'That they do. But something bothers me. Why was Silviani so despaired after this piece?'

'I don't have the slightest idea. But if you ask me he was beyond despair. It was as if he was obsessed with it. Now those pieces are just dead stones but I respect your father's decision to break the orb in two. Maybe it really was for the best.' She gave it a thought before continuing on a lighter note. 'Though curiosity does swallow me alive.'

Ezio frowned in annoyance but let it go.

'Do you thing Silviani is an Assassin like he claimed?'

'Probably. But even so, _Signor _Giovanni must have had good reasons not to place his trust on him at one point.'

Between the two silence installed and Leonardo decided not to get involved. So he went to pour some tea for Shiva to drink.

'How do you know so many things about the Assassins?'

At first she was ready to show him that his questions were annoying the hell out of her, but she gave up.

'I am not a thief since yesterday. I learned a lot of things during years of mastering my skills. And I have to admit that your father had been a treasure of fascinating information.'

The woman knew that there were so many questions that Ezio had for her but instead of evading them she decided to answer them for once.

'It was out of coincidence that our paths crossed more than one time. But even so, your father was one of the few people I've met to benefit of my entire respect. If Silviani was right and your father had been indeed waiting for me, it could have been because he knew I can move about easily and find information at a faster pace.'

They both looked at the pieces that Ezio was holding.

'I am sorry. This was all I was able to do for your father.' She nodded towards the broken orb and he could clearly sense remorse in her words. Suddenly the image of her in his father's secret room appeared in his head.

'Nearly dying. Pretty impressive.'

To speak the truth a well-intended joke was the last thing she expected. Maybe she was judging the Auditore kid a little bit too harsh. 'Though I'm not falling for it.'

'I'm sorry?' Suddenly she felt insulted.

'What happened to the entire 'I am after the orb and I will take it no matter the cost' statement?'

She frowned. In moments like these, when he was venturing his flirty smiles she wished she could go back to mystery gender. But she played along his sarcasm.

'Well… those things are now clearly nothing more than useless stones. They represent no interest to me anymore, so you can keep them.'

But they both knew that under that grin she was currently wishing him ten years of bad fortune. And Ezio's smile wasn't far from it either.

When Leonardo turned to them he found the two with weird grimaces on their faces, and the over exaggerated grins reminded him of an old story about a couple of spouses that killed each other with the weapons they were hiding behind their backs.

The bad thing was that Ezio was webbed with sharp object. The positive part was that Shiva had none. What worried him instead was the ashes fork he had forgotten pinned on the table's leg.

Their staring was interrupted by the cup of tea that blocked their views.

'Drink whilst is hot.'

'Bleah.' Still, the woman took the cup from his hands.

Ezio eyed her as she was peacefully blowing the surface of the liquid. Then a thought crossed his mind and he instantly activated his vision. When everything came to normal he continued to stare. Her glow was now pure white.

'How did you do that?'

The woman looked up.

'Do what?'

'That! You turned from enemy into …' Well … what would he call a white glow?

She arched an eyebrow and took a silent, long sip.

'Is that an Assassin's trait?'

She had guessed right.

'Smart.'

She grinned.

'Why thank you. And to answer your question,' she took another drink letting him waiting for the answer. 'I have no idea.'

And she smiled again. 'Shouldn't you know it?'

'You are such a help.'

Shiva put the cup down and Leonardo spoke again.

'So what are you going to do now Ezio?'

He took his time before answering.

'I think it's time to go and put an end to some unfinished business.'

The artist nodded.

'I will also take the codex pages to bring them to my uncle and see if he will be able to make something out of it.'

'And the orb?'

'I still have no idea of what to do with it. I shall bring it to Monteriggioni but I rather do it when killing and enemies of my father are not involved. I may have to ask you a favour. Could you keep it for a while?'

'Why of course.'

Whist the two men exchanged their words the woman slowly got up and started to walk towards the entrance of the other room.

Ezio eyed her with the corner of his eyes, then, turning his entire attention to her, he voiced his question.

'What about you?'

Shiva looked over her shoulder.

'What about me?'

'What are you going to do?'

But before the woman had the chance to come up with an answer Leonardo spoke for her.

'What she knows best – disappear.'

She looked troubled, as she had been caught in action.

'Oh well… at some point. Maybe after I'll be able to walk up those stairs on my own.'

'A little bit too soon, if you ask me.' The artist continued shaking his head disapprovingly.

'So that's it? That's all you do? Walk in and out on people?' Ezio asked sarcastically but she didn't take well his joke and answered with narrowed eyes.

'And occasionally _on_ people if they annoy me enough.'

But the only effect it had on Ezio was visible in his smirk.

She swore, he was underestimating her now more than when he though she was a boy. She had no nerves to lose on immature boys so she turned around and continued her walk. But the man had other opinion.

'Can I ask you one more thing?'

Really annoyed she spun, a little bit too fast, giving the sudden pain. But before the men had time to react she threw at them her answer.

'Pay me.'

Ezio frowned.

'Funny. I was ab-'

'I am not joking.. I think I have already favoured you enough for being Giovanni's son. You want more information from me – pay me.'

The man looked incredulously towards the artist for confirmation.

With his arms folded he nodded amused.

'It comes with the job.'

Ezio still couldn't believe his ears. He sighed frustrated still not sure if the two were pulling him by the leg.

'How much?'

'It usually depends on the kind of information one wants but since you're Leonardo's friend…. 2000 florins.'

'What!'

'Take it or leave it.'

She was dead serious.

Infuriated he accepted and stumped to her, grabbing her arm and forcing a pouch in her palm. She clearly didn't appreciate being brutalised and glared at him. Refusing to let her go he towered closer.

'What was your relation with my brother?'

On spot he regretted his actions and the demanding tone, as for a second her eyes flashed an unusual emotion, he had seen just once: on his mother's face when she had learned of his father's death.

She swallowed but her voice came strong and unaffected.

'I met him a couple of times through your father.'

'And?'

'And what? That's all.'

'What about the broach?'

'What broach?'

His grip tightened again.

'Don't play fool with me.'

But then, as if she had been playing with him all this time she slipped her hand out of his fist with easiness.

'That's all you get for 2000 florins.'

With that she turned her back and disappeared into the next room.

He couldn't believe this. That moment he remembered that hood or no hood she had the same wicked personality. She had managed to walk out on him yet again. The only difference was that now he couldn't simply crash her on a wall and talk her into respecting people.

He though he was angry but the next thing he did was to laugh. Ezio then turned to Leonardo.

'Well… I was expecting at least a 'have a nice trip' or something along the line.'

Before putting the pieces back into the box Leonardo answered bluntly.

'Don't.'

Ezio continued to eye the artist amused by all the things he had gone through lately.

Minutes later the Assassin was saying his goodbyes to his friend. When the door closed he knew that for the next job he needed a clear head. The white hood stepped into the sun soon disappearing into the masses of people.

* * *

~~ End of chapter 9 ~~

In search of inspiration T_T


	10. A bump on the road

**a.n:** you can find a link to Shiva's character design in my profile page.

* * *

_**Capitolo Dieci**_

* * *

The horse neighed and its owner pulled the reins to calm down the animal. The horseman was deep in thoughts barely aware of his surroundings. All that he cared about was that the sun was up, signalising noon and Romagna was still far away.

With a gentle hit of his leather greaves the man send the horse into gallop.

Two years have passed since the last time he had been in Florence. He had to make that trip and talk to Lorenzo, letting him know that _De Pazzi_represented a danger for Firenze no longer.

However he did feel a little disappointed. He had hoped to be able to see Leonardo again but he received the news that the artist had left Firenze; but there was still time. He was heading towards _Venezia,_where he will surely be able to hear of the artist again. Something told him that finding Leonardo won't be such a hard mission.

Up on the rocky road he wasn't able to enjoy the speed for long as at a turning point he found the path blocked by a carriage; whoever it was, they were facing some problems.

Ezio tugged the reins until the horse slowed down, finally stopping. He looked down and the next second he practically threw himself off, at recognising the figure crouched to the back wheel. He really couldn't believe his luck.

'Leonardo!'

The red beret turned around to reveal surprise at the sight of an old friend.

'Ezio? What luck!'

He read the man's clear amusement at the situation he was facing. 'I…umm, I've run into a bit of trouble.'

Ezio gave a closer look to the wheel.

'Let me see if I can help.'

Of course in the artist's head Ezio was exactly the opposite of him…meaning, he could handle the hard work by himself; but nevertheless he was now, not only happy at this chance encounter, but also relieved.

'I know how to fix it, but I lack the means to do so. If you could just lift the wagon?'

So Ezio followed the instruction. It was then when by accident he saw the oddity that the artist was carrying with him.

His curiosity triggered the artist's row of explanations about a mechanism designed to make a man fly.

Ezio laughed. This was indeed Leonardo: always coming up with the weirdest ideas and eccentric inventions. He shook his head amused.

'Come on, I'll drive.'

Either way he had learned never to underestimate Leonardo's mind so for now he decided to keep this one daring fable in mind.

'But I haven't even told you where I am going.'

He brought his owns horse in a line with the rest in front of the carriage and jumped in. Once they agreed on the fact that they were heading in the same direction it wasn't hard to fall in a long conversation over how things have changed.

Hearing Leonardo mention his old atelier he realised that until now the artist hadn't spoken a single word about what had happened right after his departure.

'What happened of Shiva?'

'Oh, how could I have forgotten? Well, it might be the fact that I, also, have no idea of her current whereabouts. It didn't take long for her to get out of Florence after you left. But she stood enough to cause me trouble. I care about her, I really do… but she was like a magpie! – and my house looked like a nest full of things, valuable things, that did _!__not!_belong to me; I had a client that one day came to my atelier to pick up a painting. He started to complain how the day before, when he had first come to Firenze, he had been robbed of his belongings among which was a crystal pill box, engraved especially for him in the south of France. I had no idea of why Shiva was standing angelically in the armchair, battling her eyelashes _so_ingenuously until I saw the damn box glittering in the light of the sun, on the windowsill.'

Ezio didn't know if he should pity the artist or laugh at the way he told the story, all fired up.

'Women are so cunning- that's what I don't like about them. But Shiva…Shiva is…is…' and then he calmed down, realising the scene he was making. 'Well…she's my friend.'

For the longest time he stood quiet, trying to hold his tongue. Then, he turned violently to Ezio and brought a finger up in the air. 'If…_If_ she ever smiles sweetly at you or if she ever starts to act all lady-like on you be very, very cautious and start worrying for the worst. It will save you the shock later.'

Ezio understood that moment what Leonardo must have felt each time he let the woman get on his nerves – trying not to laugh he simply huffed amused.

'So I take she recovered well.'

He thwacked the hold of the horses. 'That's one burden off my shoulders.'

The wagon was gently balancing as they remained quiet.

'You know, I still shouldn't have forgiven you for making me believe she was a boy.'

'Ha, ha…but you were so funny to watch. I sincerely wouldn't have done it if you hadn't made that presumption to begin with. Not to mention that I never expected you to feel attracted to her even with the knowledge – '

'I wasn't attracted to her.'

The artist stopped at the toneless answer.

'Right.'

'I wasn't. I just… felt that something was fishy. It's just because I have a fine nose for women.'

Leonardo coughed and looked at the green field to his right. 'How could I have forgotten that?'

'Either way, her current position is a complete mystery. Of all I know she could be anywhere in the country… or outside.'

'Hn.'

Between moments of silence and occasional chit-chats they had a lot of time for jokes and puns. Leonardo breathed in deeply and let the air out slowly.

'Venetia! Such a beautiful city. So many sources of inspiration! Ponte di Rialto, Piazza San Marco, L'Arsenale…'

'Shh…' Ezio made a gesture with his hand to quiet the artist.

'What's wrong?'

'We're not alone.'

Both men looked behind to see running up the hill, right behind them, a pair of city guards. Something was off. Ezio took no time to consider and following his instincts he hit the horses to speed up.

'What is happening? What do they want from us?'

By the threatening way in which they were getting closer there was little that doubt they had any good intentions. That's when an arrow hit the carriage.

'I think they want us dead.'

Ezio hated the situation. He couldn't get rid of them and he had to focus on guiding the horses.

One of the chasers caught up with the wagon and pushed the animal until he was almost at the same level with them. At the same time when he threw his arm to grab the artist's shirt Ezio felt a bump in the back – another one had jumped on the wagon.

'Leonardo!'

But when the man was prepared to fight back the attacker's eyes grew wide and his grip vanished. The artist watched as the agile violently fell from the horse as if pulled.

And pulled he had been because Leonardo's eyes transformed into two balls of surprise at seeing the horseman responsible for the deed running now alongside them.

'Shiva!'

That got Ezio's attention good.

'Leonardo! Quick; get inside the wagon!'

The man turned to open the trap behind him as Shiva had yelled. He narrowed his eyes in worry at seeing the guard managing to pull himself up but waited not a second more.

With the seat now empty the cape pulled itself up, crouching on the saddle, and jumped on the carriage.

'Give me the reins!'

Ezio nodded, knowing that he had someone to take care of. As soon as his hands were free he spun around to the towering man, ready to attack but suddenly he felt the carriage disappearing from under his feet. He snatched the edge of the wagon, but the force with which the carriage twisted almost sent him falling backwards. He had the chance only to aimlessly grab on the other edge of the horse holder and sustain the weight of the guard that had fallen onwards, between him and Shiva.

'What the devil are you trying to do?'

But the thief pulled even more forcefully sending the carriage into another twist and bringing one leg up, she kicked the guard in his butt, sending him over the horses. The man grabbed the front of the wagon and tried to pull himself up from certain death under the wheels.

'Get him down!'

The assassin, half angry pulled the guard by his collar and threw him off.

Master again over his balance, but still one hand gripping a safe point he turned to Shiva.

'Do you even know how to drive this thing?'

From the blowing wind and the jolts of the rocky road the black hood fell, revealing an enormous smart smile.

'No.'

The man looked at her in disbelief and shock.

'Please tell me that was a joke.'

'Never done it in my life, but if lying helps…'

The woman struck the back of the horses even harder, jerking the carriage forwards when two other guards made a jump for it. One fell, whilst the other managed to stay on position.

Ezio, tightened his grip.

'Have you lost your mind? Give me back the reins!'

'Why don't you just do your job?'

'My job?'

They would have happily continued to yell at each other but Shiva ducked to one side sending the guard in an unsuccessful attack. Ezio took a hold on him and twisting his arm he threw him to the ground.

'Ezio, they're approaching fast.'

Leonardo was right and Shiva took a second to look behind, shaking her head in disapproval.

'Who are these guys anyway?'

Shiva was the first to shout the answer to the artist.

'Borgia's men.'

'Someone is well informed.'

The woman felt the ironic tone in the assassin's voice.

'And I suppose that your presence here is just a coincidence.'

He had meant it as a joke but he never expected to watch her smiling face suddenly darkening of an emotion he couldn't place.

'Yes. Coincidence…'

He frowned.

'Shiva! Ezio! They're climbing on board. You have to knock them off!'

The two didn't really need the artist to tell them that as they could feel it on their own.

'_Filles de putte!'_

Ezio twitched at the unexpected reaction.

'Wha-aaaaaa-'

Suddenly the carriage shook violently and leaned dangerously to the left.

'We have to get these guys down.'

'But why do you want to get me down as well?'

'I am just simplifying your role.'

'You are simplifying my expectations from life; each time you threaten my longevity.'

Then she pulled again and the carriage rolled to the right taking Ezio with it. He sought again sustain, but his body still jerked forwards sending him nose level to her hair. He let out a relieved sigh when she turned her head, looking at him. He locked eyes with her and for a second he found himself lost in those citrine orbs and the locks of hair violently dancing in the wind.

He realised something was off the moment she leaned forward and her mouth slowly parted.

'Behind you.'

It was a whisper that he barely heard but the smart grin, back again on her face was all he needed. He quickly straightened and delivered a forceful elbow in the guard's jaw, sending him rolling down the wagon.

He looked behind at the racing guards still coming their way.

'We need to move faster.' But then he turned to look again at the road ahead and felt a knot in his throat. The path was narrowing and on their right the land was slowly replaced by an abrupt and deep mountain pass. He felt his blood froze at the sound of her yelling voice that sent the horses into a faster gallop.

'Are you sure about thi-!' But he swallowed his words and secured his grip as she hit the horses again, almost on purpose.

The good thing was that the pursuers were now representing a less of a bother; the bad thing was that the carriage was practically waltzing from one rocky side of the road to dreadfully close to the other side.

One of the agiles launched towards the carriage and pulled himself up. Shiva growled and hauled the reins. With horror Ezio watched the carriage roll dangerously over the gorge. He saw the man vanishing into the abyssal pass and for a fraction of the moment he thought he was watching death in the eyes. With his knuckles turned white and his feet pinned to the wood he waited for the worst when he suddenly felt the carriage slowly rolling back on its all four wheels. When the shock was over he felt his voice come back to him.

'You are mad!'

To his thundering yelling she responded with a calm shout.

'I had to get rid of that bastard.'

'Get rid! It doesn't matter if you _get rid_of them if you'll _get rid_of us too! You are simplifying _their_role by killing us!'

'Shut it. I need to concentrate.'

He let his body fell into the seat but still refused to let go of the edge he was holding unto. When…_if,_he will set his feet on ground he promised to kiss that exact parcel of dirt. Then, from the corner of his eyes he glanced at her. She was indeed focused on the road but there was a glitter of fascination in those bright orbs; she was definitely enjoying it. Ezio couldn't believe it but he found himself smirking; she reminded him of a child entertained by the new toy.

Then he looked ahead.

'We should be close to the bridge.'

She nodded but then, after taking another turn she frowned.

'Something is happening.'

The assassin narrowed his eyes but it wasn't necessary anymore as he realised what she was talking about.

'Damn them! They are sending the bridge on fire!'

They were approaching at a fast speed.

'Can you handle it?'

But he got no answer.

He wanted to tell her she is mad; that she wasn't going to make it but he also knew it was their only chance. It didn't really matter if it was her or him holding the reins – there was only one way out of this.

'Leonardo, you'd better hold on tight.'

The carriage ran down to the bridge whilst the horses were forced to their full capacities. The old planks were burning fast and under the weight of the carriage they snapped and fell. Leonardo saw the flames up to the windows of the wagon and closed his eyes. He felt the left back of the wagon slowly falling but a sudden force pulled it on the right, the wagon now sweeping through the bridge with only two wheels. Only when he started to feel the rocks of the road hitting all of the four wheels again he allowed himself to open the eyes and take a deep breath. From outside he heard Ezio yell in a scolding but relieved manner and Shiva answering him with a rich and powerful laugh.

'You are one _mad_woman!'

'Why thank you!'

But they knew that it was far from over when arches appeared at the sides of the road, launching flaming arrows ahead of the carriage.

"Will they ever stop?" he heard the woman sigh.

Almost with hopes lost he turned to Shiva.

'Please, please drive carefully.'

He knew his pleading had fallen to deaf ears but he had his own problems to solve: their insistent pursuers.

The carriage kept rocking from one side to another and Ezio wondered how those fools were even capable of standing their ground on the wagon.

He got a grip on one of the attackers and after a well-placed fist he made sure the guy would hit the ground hard. He looked up at the new clandestine passenger, waiting for him to approach, when the carriage leaned to the left and he was swept by a branch hitting his stomach.

Ezio grimaced and closed one eye.

'Ooooou! That must have hurt!' He had to swallow his laughter when the carriage halted only to twist to the right. Unprepared he was thrown backwards and even if he steadied himself in the last second, he still felt a hand gripping him by the belt and pulling him back.

'Don't expect any thanks; it's your own damn fault!'

'We're almost there!'

She yelled, nodding towards the bridge of stone, signalising the borders of Romagna.

'Good! Leonardo, get up here!'

The artist hit the trap open and climbed up the roof.

'Take hold of the reins from here on. We'll stay behind to hold them up and then catch up with you later.'

Shiva looked confused from one man to another whilst Leonardo took the reins without any difficulties.

'What? What do you mean by _we_? Do the job yourself!'

But the moment she got on her feet to protest Ezio was up too.

'Watch your landing.'

Before she had the time to react she found herself being pushed. She hit the ground and rolled her full body to absorb the impact. She coughed and pushed herself in one arm. The carriage was far away and at the other side of the road Ezio was already on his feet.

'You…you….barbarian!' She yelled as she was picking herself up. 'You threw me from a speeding carriage!'

'You made my whole life unreel in front of my eyes during that whole mad driving.'

'Did you at least for a second consider that I might not know how to fight? Not to mention that you didn't even ask nicely for a proper help?'

'Did you ask _me_nicely if I wanted to die in the middle of nowhere? Mark my word: I will never, as long as I live, let you drive the same carriage, horse or any other thing that might occur as long as I am in it. EVER!'

At first she was opened for a fight but his spitted monologue left her blinking.

'Now! Let's get this thing done so we can go back to Leonardo.'

As soon as he finished his last word he forcefully spun around, slashing with his sword across the stomach of the guard who thought he was in luck due to the Assassin's lack of attention.

Whilst they had their little quarrel the place webbed with Borgia's men. Ezio went in an open attack, already encircled by guards when Shiva was still stoned, looking through him.

'_We?_'

The agile took advantage of her current state and launched forwards with his knife in the air but she suddenly spun, lowering herself. When he went for the hit the second time she got up sending a fist of dirt right into his eyes. Then she sidestepped, grabbed his knife and stabbed him in the back of his neck.

The fight went on until somehow both of them ended up encircled by the same circle of attackers. Ezio went for the kill without hesitating. It was clear that in combat they were so very different. Whilst he wasn't backing off from anything and taking them down with force and rage she was playing with the opponent, exhausting him and taking advantage of his mistakes. Soon they stepped back to back, Shiva facing a brute and Ezio having to deal with an agile.

She sneered looking at the tin man in front of her.

'Would you…?'

'You don't even have to ask.'

Ezio knew that she had fewer chances against a mountain of a man and on the other hand the restless guard he was currently facing was annoying him.

On sign he bended and she rolled over his back. The blade of his sword thrust through the back of the brute's knees and Shiva's knife slashed the agile's throat.

The bodies fell to the ground followed by silence.

Then Ezio heard the woman chuckle.

'We should do this more often.'

He instantly turned.

'Never.' He put his hands on his knees still grateful that he was on still ground again.

She looked at him, and even if no voice left her throat it was simple to read on her lips.

_'Wimp.'_

But he suddenly straightened and smirked, not paying attention to her insult.

'_We?'_He asked, proving that he had actually heard her previous question.

She rolled her eyes.

'Weren't …we in a hurry?'

'Right.'

They both started to make their way to the bridge.

'So, what brings you to these parts?'

It was a second of silence.

'Passing by.'

The assassin remembered the awkward moment from the carriage and decided to drop the subject. He wanted to make simple conversations, maybe ask her how has she been but he had a feeling that those kind of things might actually spoil the mood when it came to her.

As they made their way down the road the houses kept appearing by each side. He caught Shiva eyeing them carefully.

'What are you doing?'

'Well, I suppose you don't intend to walk by foot to Forli.'

'Do you have a better idea?'

She smirked and pointed towards a house with two horses, barely visible, leashed in the back. The owner was currently leaving after feeding them, heading towards some of his peasants friends.

Ezio watched Siva setting her eyes on one of the horses.

'Wait here. I'll go talk to the owner.'

The former noble did as such without looking back to see the woman arch an eyebrow and walk towards her object of interest.

When he reached the man Ezio was already with his hand on his pouch ready to discuss a price for borrowing the horse.

In the meantime Shiva unfastened the knot and started to pull the horse outside the stall. She caressed the horse's mane and smirked looking Ezio's way.

When the hooded Assassin was about to give his salute to the old owner he stopped his words at hearing a galloping horse.

He spun around.

'Jump on! Quick!'

He watched petrified the black cape galloping right towards him. The man needed to make a decision and without giving much of a thought when the horse passed by he grabbed the saddle and busted himself up, leaving behind a screaming and panicked one-horse-lessened owner.

'Thieves! Thieves! Stop them! Somebody!'

'What the hell do you think you are doing? Stop the horse now! You are acting like a low charlatan.'

Unlike the effect he was hoping to get the woman started to laugh.

'You really should work on your insults. You would have made any thief feel proud with words like those.'

'You know what I meant. People living here barely manage from a day to another. We could have at least paid the man.'

'How considerate for a noble's child. But if the guy was really that poor and starving he would have long sold those two golden rings he was wearing on his fingers.'

'And you are going to tell me that in such haste you saw the two rings.'

The cape in front of him shrugged.

'No. Not really.'

Ezio felt like rolling his eyes in disbelief.

'Are you for real?'

But the deep laughter of the woman proved that she was playing with him.

She was really strange, this woman. Her words were always firing him up, but everything else about her was calming him down. As it was now the case with the rhythmic tremble of her back pressed against his chest, at cause of the laughter.

'Hey...back then… Were you serious about not having driven a carriage before? Not that your skills proved the contrary.'

'Dead serious.'

'I rather you not pick such words when referring to that sort of things. I hope you at least know how to ride. Oh, wait – you do.'

'And how do you know that?'

'Leonardo told me.'

She gave no response to that.

'Oh, now I remember. I believe you said you will never ride on the sa-'

'Not a single word about that.' He made a pause.

Soon the walls of the citadel appeared in front of them.

'And wipe that smirk off your face.'

* * *

_filles de putte (French) = bastards_

* * *

~~End of Chapter 10~~


	11. and a storm on sea

_**Capitolo Undici**_

* * *

Soon they reached the destination.

Shiva tapped the horse on the head to make him halt, both of them getting down. He did consider offering his hand for support but for some odd reason her image biting his hand years ago reappeared in his mind and decided against it. This wasn't making him feel any better about the fact that he did throw her off the carriage – in the end she was still a woman, and he knew better than brutalising the weaker sex.

'Will you move or are you waiting for an invitation?'

The cape shouted at him already meters away on the docks.

He had to keep that though in mind for safety.

Ezio caught up with her and looked towards the waving artist.

Once they met, Leonardo gave both a hug.

'Thanks heaven you are safe.'

Whist they had their little greetings the man in charge with the ship docked started to yell its departure.

'Ezio, that's out ferry. Venetia awaits!'

The man looked at the three of them and then pointed towards the two hoods.

'Where are your passes?'

'What passes?'

'You cannot enter Venezia without a pass. Who invited you?'

Shiva grinned.

'Looks like you are in a little bit of a trouble.'

But he didn't pay attention to her mean words.

'No one invited me.'

The woman lowered her head but couldn't control her laugher.

'Then you can't get onboard.'

This guy was seriously getting on Ezio's nerves.

Their little confrontation was interrupted by the powerful shouts of a woman. She was stuck on one of the shores. Sure, he was facing a problem of his own, but he could never leave a damsel in distress. Seeing a gondola he smirked and turned to Shiva.

'Wait here. When I'll come back I'll find a way to get us both onboard of that ship.'

Ezio sprinted away, leaving a confused Leonardo behind.

'You're coming with us?'

The thief, with her arms folded in front of her, kept looking at the gondola until it disappeared.

'No.'

Her voice was suddenly cold and distant.

'But why was Ezio under that false impression?'

'I haven't got a clue.'

Shiva hugged him again, and kissed him on both cheeks.

'Have a nice trip.'

And again the artist found himself alone, even more confused than the first time.

When Ezio came back he was engaged into a gallant discussion with the woman. He helped her on the docks.

While the Assassin went to Leonardo he kept watching with a smirk on his face the woman who was currently discussing with the man that had been troubling him.

The artist smiled and balanced forward on his feet once.

'I imagine luck found you in more than one way.'

'You could say that, yes.' Ezio brought his arms to his chest still grinning towards the woman. Then he froze.

He frenetically looked around, realization striking him.

'Where is she?'

'Eh?'

'Where is Shiva?'

'Oh...I though you…'

He turned glaring at his friend.

'I what?'

'Well…she…' and then he bluntly ended his statement. 'left.'

'What? Where to?'

'I can't sincerely know. You know Shiva; she comes and goes as she pleases.'

'_Cazzo!_'

The woman was coming to them to announce Ezio that his problem was solved but she only found the man angry.

'What happened? Did you lose something?'

The man looked into her beautiful eyes.

'You could say that. For how longer will the ship stay at the docks?'

'No longer than 15 minutes.'

Fifteen minutes were not enough, even for a daring man like him.

'Caterina, if I could afford another enormous favour from you; 5 minutes more. Could you keep the boat five more minutes? If I don't return let it leave.'

The woman put her hands on her hips but still smirked.

'You'd better be a man of honour and be here in 20 minutes. Not a second later.'

He took her hand to kiss it.

'_Mille grazie!'_Then he turned to the artist. 'Leonardo, I am going after her. She can't have gone too far.'

'What? Why?'

'She promised.'

And with that he ran along the docks and jumped over the wooden rail on the dirt, continuing at a fast peace.

'She…promised?' Leonardo knew that he was talking to himself now but still couldn't control it. 'I somehow doubt it.' Actually he fully doubted it since he perfectly knew that Shiva would never promise anything, no matter how small, even if her life would depend on it.

* * *

The Assassin was running aimlessly and he was frustrated about it. He had no idea where to find her and his time was ticking. He also had no idea of why he wanted her to come with them so fiercely. Actually he did, but his reasons were so childish that he was ashamed to name them. He simply knew that as he was fighting against the wind, the image of that stoned cape, standing in the middle of the battle field, with those intense eyes staring at his back, kept playing into his mind.

" '_We?' __"_

_We; we; we…_That _we_kept rolling into his ears like plague. It hadn't been one of her mind jokes, or one of her cunning ways of eschewing questions. It had been more than that: it had been honest.

He hoped that one day he will not hate his decision of madly chasing after that '_we_'.

The assassin stopped. What he was doing now wasn't going to lead him to her on time. Then what would? He stared at a drunken man, trying to lift himself up on the wall of a house. Something triggered in the back of his mind. _Who_was going to lead him?

'_What got to you to look so down in the dumps?' _

_Ezio let his body fell on the rooftop of their house, next to his melancholic brother._

'_I just came home from a long journey. Couldn't you just spare me some quiet time?'_

_And so they stood in silence, gazing up at the starts._

'_You know what the hardest part in taming a fox is?'_

'_Here you go again.' But Ezio chose to amuse him. 'Donno; patience?'_

'_No. Not showing how comfortable you are around her. Doing that before you have fully earned her trust will just scare her away. You'll have to let the fox do the first step or she'll run away.'_

'_Oh really.' He rolled his eyes. 'Where to?'_

'_Foxes are cunning animals. You'd think they'd chose the fastest way back but they actually run the opposite way to mislead the chasers and exhaust them.'_

_There was another moment of silence._

'_You're talking like a mad man.'_

_Federico brought his arms under his head and laughed._

'_Maybe I am.'_

The opposite way… Ezio looked towards the walls of the city. There was another road on the other side of it. Luckily he didn't have to go through the city, just follow the outside road. He put his body into motion once again. It was a mad thing what he was doing but right now it was the only idea he had. If anything he should give it a try.

Barely keeping his breath in control he reached the other gates of the city.

His chest was visibly rising while he kept looking around for the familiar cape. Had he come too late? Should he go down to the bridge? He didn't even have the certainty that he was on the right path. He was about to curse when, between the people walking in and out the gates he caught glimpse of the familiar black hood. He jogged to it and mingled between the people. He watched as she passed by a well-dressed man and with the easiest hands she grabbed his pouch and hid it under the long cape.

He smirked and went further after her.

She was about to sidestep from the crowd after a last pickpocketing when a hand gripped her arm. She snapped her head upwards to look into the deep brown eyes of the Assassin.

'Weren't you supposed to be on board of the ship?'

She went further from the main road, towards the stalls.

'Weren't you?'

At that she spun on her heels. For some seconds she just stared from under her hood and then sighed.

'Look, I don't know what wrong idea got into your head, but I don't remember ever telling that I'll come with you.'

'And why not? You didn't look as if you were in a hurry to somewhere else moments ago.'

He nodded towards the road. 'In fact you looked like you were killing time.'

'Yes, well… I was killing my time fructuously. Being chased around without a proper reason _and_ without a motivational reward is not on my timetable.'

She turned around ready to continue her walk.

'That is all you need? A reason and material gain?'

'Most of the time.'

But she didn't stop. Ezio watched as the woman picked one of the horses and caressed its mane to get him moving. He wondered why he had even bothered to go this far for her. He didn't even know her, nor could he fully trust her. Even so, here he was and it could have been out of stubbornness but he wasn't going to let things as they were.

'Then I hire you!' He had shouted powerful enough for her to hear him. And by the way she stopped in tracks, she had heard him.

'Hire me?' she asked pithily and looked his way. 'Hire me for what?'

He needed to come up with something as he had no idea himself.

'To teach me some of your tricks.'

Silence. So maybe he had got her attention. 'You are obviously a master when it comes to stealth. I want you to teach me how to better kill my enemies without being detected. You yourself once told me that my assassinations were messy and unorganised. I want to hire you to change that.'

There. He had thrown the bait. He just hoped that she was going to take it.

He watched her completely turn to face him, one hand still on the horse.

'Fine. But there is a price.'

Of course; there always was a 'but'.

'And for such a request the price is high… very high.'

She was bluffing; he knew. So he prepared himself for it.

'Name it.'

Another moment of silence whilst she crossed her arms.

'Your next two incomes from the Monteriggioni villa.'

Damn. He didn't know if he was supposed to be shocked because of the absurd request or because of her deep knowledge over his private life - over the second he was actually quite scared. Either way, backing off would be exactly her victory.

'Fine. Not a florin more.'

He watched her stay still as a wall but that little twitch of the hand didn't escape his eyes. She was surprised; she had bluffed but she hadn't expected him to go for it. Under his hood he smirked. It might be hard, and it might require a hell of patience, but slowly, he was starting to learn her.

She clenched her jaw.

'Deal.'

'Great! Now move and run as fast as you can. We have a ship for Venetia to catch.'

'Venetia? But I thought you lost that ship.'

'Not yet! I have well placed acquaintances. But if we don't get to the ship in less the 8 minutes we will lose it for sure.'

He was about to turn and find his way back to the docks when she grabbed his right arm.

'Wait. One more question.'

'Hm?'

But it took her a longer time before voicing it.

'I am rather curious. How did you find me?'

He looked down at her gloved hand.

'I didn't.'

She let go, confused.

'Federico did.'

After those words he started to run. It took a while, but in the end he heard another set of steps catching up. He couldn't stop not to ask himself what was in her mind at that moment.

It didn't take long for them to reach the docks, but whilst Ezio was almost panting Shiva looked as if she had just turned from a walk in the market.

'Madonna, I am in your debts.'

Caterina smiled slyly.

'I am sure you will find a way to show your gratitude. Should you ever find yourself in the city of Forli, it would be my pleasure to welcome you.'

'I look forward to enjoy your hospitality.'

While their departing conversation went on Shiva passed by, to Leonardo who was already on the ship. Stopping next to him he heard her whisper an amused 'wooing' as they both watched the scene on docks.

'I must admit I wasn't expecting him to convince you.'

'What can I say? You know me…I can't resist a good bargain.'

'And you say that with pride because….?'

Ezio stepped on board not long after that.

When everything was ready the ship started to move away from the shore.

They watched amused as the woman was yelling at the man on the docks, making his life miserable.

'Be careful Ezio. Do you know who that was?'

The white hood smirked.

'My next conquest.'

The artist laughed.

'I don't think so. That's Caterina Sforza. Daughter of the Duca di Milano. Her husband –

'Husband?'

'Si! Her husband is the Lord of Forli…'

Shiva looked at the two men from under her hood and shook her head. That's what she regretted the most once she agreed to do this job: silence.

She went to the other side of the deck and with one hand she pushed the hood down, gazing at the surface of the water and the sea protected by the mist. She feared that even that ridiculous amount of money won't compensate for the silence and quietness she much cherished.

Ezio, with both his elbows underpinned on the handrail, keep staring in front of him, not realizing that he was in fact staring at the woman.

He arched an eyebrow.

'When did she get there?'

Leonardo sighed his former amusement away.

"You know, looking at her reminds me of a captured animal who is taken to a circus against its will.'

'Right. Make me feel like the villain.'

'Oh, noo! I wasn't implying that; at all. I was merely trying to point that she doesn't look at her best.'

Ezio pushed himself up and whilst walking to her he brought one finger up, signalising the artist to 'watch the master at work'.

Leonardo simply arched an elegant brow under the red beret and twisted a smile. He hoped that whatever he was about to do it won't be grand enough to have to fish him back onboard after.

'Sea sick?'

She watched the man as he pinned his hands on the handrail next to her.

'Hardly.'

He looked to the sea. He hated the mist.

'Ever been to Venetia before?'

Her bored side glare was enough of an answer.

'I'll take that as a yes.'

She turned around, and with her arms opened she leaned with her elbows on the handrail and looked to one side to let the wind blow away the locks of hair from her face.

'I actually miss Venetia. That city is everything a thief could desire: corruption, places to hide, people to bribe, nobles and snobbish rich men to steal from.'

'Fascinating.' Nonetheless he huffed a laughter.

'Once you set feet on Venetia you should watch your pockets.'

'I'll remember that. Especially when it comes from a thief.'

He also took a moment to look around the ferry whilst silence installed. Ezio looked then at his feet, thinking at the road ahead of him; and whether it was a good thing or a bad thing, for the time being he wasn't alone.

He looked back at the woman only to find her with her eyes closed, breathing slowly, and some of her thin ashen locks tickling her face in the wind. She looked so peacefully in her state of silence. That's when he thought of something that had plagued his mind for quite some time - from that night when his finger had instinctively touched the corner of her lips. It actually came back to him during the moment of closure they ungracefully had on the carriage. Whist she might not be one of the most beautiful women he had seen, there was something in particular that adorned her face and distinguished her from others. Ezio leaned towards her a little to have a better look. He smirked.

With his hand on his heart he could say that so far he had seen few women who could beautifully wear a mole on their faces. And until now Shiva was the best; on the left side of the face, under the corner of her lower lip was this small, perfectly round black dot. How could he describe it? Attractive, cute? Each time he had seen her without the hood it was as if the mole was fitting her expressions.

He leaned even more and brought up a hand above her lips.

From afar Leonardo froze at realizing what he was about to do.

'Oh dear; not that! Ezio, don't touc-'

But the words got stuck in the throat as Shiva forcefully grabbed two of Ezio's fingers and turned them over, almost crackling them backwards.

'Hsssss! Ouch!' And if the artist could feel the pain just by watching, it was far worse for Ezio.

'Ouch, ouch, ou-.'

'Don't _ever_ try that again!'

'You could have said that before paralysing my fingers!'

The woman looked him straight in the eyes, not amused at all.

'Any other things I should know before I'll end up a floating body on one of the canals of Venice?' His sarcasm wasn't strong enough to hide the pain he was still going through, gently holding his two harmed fingers in the other hand and blowing over them.

'Very funny. I don't care what you do. But don't tread on my tail.'

'And how many tails do you have?' He snorted.

Again the woman held his glare to make her point.

'Alright; fine. You are not an easily humoured person; I got it.'

The man rolled his eyes and she nodded in superiority, storming away and past the artist who was approaching the scene.

Leonardo, on his own part had to sigh, catching her victorious grin as she was heading towards the quarterdeck.

'What the hell got into her to react like that all of the sudden?'

'Well, she is, umm… sensitive about her mole.'

'Pfff..' Ezio watched her walk away, on the stairs, back straight, as if yelling victory. Damn her. He scorned – this battle was not over yet.

So the artist jumped out of his skin at the thundering shout his friend suddenly let out.

'Oh, come on sweetie dear, don't make such a face; you know that no matter how many women flirt with me you will remain my one and only!'

Like a tornado the cape spun and the eyes of the woman were two orbs of pure horror.

'_**Whaaat?'**_

Then the dreadful shock was slowly and visibly replaced like the colours in a painting by fury as the figure was starting to emanate a killing aura.

'I dare you to say that again, because I fear that the mist might have affected my hearing, if possible.'

The man smirked, much pleased by the reaction.

'I promise to erase any doubt you have over my words but you'll have to wait until we reach our bedroom. There are far too many ears and eyes present now.'

Again, another wave of shock hit the woman. She let out a sudden blow of air and looked around at the smirking sailors who were hiding behind their work and the few citizens that were stealing glances and whispering amused one to another.

The woman threw one hand to the wooden handrail for support and the other one to her chest, fighting to catch her air breath the nightmare she was facing.

Leonardo twitched, seeing her practically choke on her own anger.

'And I will also make up to you for not letting you wear a dress today. But you know that it would have only got dirty on such a ship and weather. Once we reach Venetia I'll buy you that dress that you liked so much.'

The wood snapped. Ezio gulped. He watched the surface of the wooden handrail in chips under the pressure of the gloved hand. Never had he imagined that a woman could possess such force. Had he gone too far? Without realizing he sidestepped behind Leonardo.

The artist felt him and frenetically looked from the trembling woman to the man cowering behind him.

It was his turn to sidestep.

'Don't hide behind me. I have nothing to do with it.'

Her hand was shaking with ire and her head was down, hair blocking the two men for reading her expression. Then there was a long, deep breath. She snapped her head up and eyed Ezio with feral glowing eyes.

'_Ezio Auditore da Firenze.__' _The woman stopped. 'You'd better pray I won't catch a _single_ glimpse of you for the rest of the journey or you'll end up _**swimming**_ to Venetia.'

With that, she spun on her heels again and, with a fluttering cape behind her she disappeared on the poop.

The two men shared a long moment of silence.

'Heh. For a moment there I thought she'll go for my neck.'

Leonardo was finally able to let out a long breath of air he had kept without realizing and he shook his head.

'You are one reckless man.'

Ezio simply smirked and enjoyed his risky victory. He looked at the sea and tried to keep in his mind for as long as he could the image of that reddened face he knew he won't have the occasion to see for a long time starting now.

* * *

On the already distant shore, the red haired woman smiled one last time at the ship swallowed by mist before turning back and head towards her husband. She grinned at the image of the gallant young man and at the memory of his panicked face at discovering his friend was missing. At that moment she had no idea that the future was going to make their paths cross for more than one time; and for more than one time she'll have to watch him madly run from her in chase of the same dark cape.


	12. Bella Venetia

After a long period of time in which this psychedelic author has been missing I am humbly presenting you this new, apparently extremely long chapter. Hope you'll enjoy the reading and feel free to feed the author with some reviews :3

* * *

_**Capitolo Dodici**_

* * *

'What is this?'

The woman looked over her shoulder at the stupefied man.

'An apartment.'

Ezio took in the enormous space, separated only in the middle by two glass doors. He frowned at the rich details of the wallpaper, the fine material of the armchairs and sofa, the large bed made of massive wood and carefully engraved, to the thick carpets and the bronze washing basin from the other room.

He brought a hand to his temples. _He will not regret this; and he will not back off; he will also not lose his temper because that's exactly what she wanted._

He breathed out trying to calm himself.

This had started weeks ago after they set foot on Venetian land. He regretted the moment when their guide, Alvise, left the three of them in front of Leonardo's new atelier.

* * *

'Give me quarter of the money.'

The Assassin looked incredulously at the black hood. She had spoken for the first time since they had left the ferry.

'Quarter?'

'Are you deaf?'

'No, but in case you haven't noticed I had just been robbed not long ago!'

She shrugged unimpressed.

'I did warn you.'

'Well, sorry to inform you – I am currently penniless. And even so, why do you need the money so badly?'

'You hired me to teach you something that, trust me, you will not be able to learn in one- two days. Where do you want me to live - on gondolas? And I don't think you can find in Venice nests big enough for you to sleep in either.'

She did make some sense but she could have put it more nicely.

'But since you are in no hurry to begin with, do whatever you feel like, and come search for me at Leonardo when you have the money.'

Suddenly, the artist who was in the doorstep, analysing his new working place, was pulled by the collar and brought inside, door slammed shut.

Ezio stood there, simply staring at the door. Then, said door opened again, letting a half amused half pitying Leonardo walk to him.

'Ezio, you know Shiva didn't mean it that way. She is just - not in a good mood. Not that I blame her, considering your bad joke from the ferry. Regardless, you know that my door is always opened. And if you need a place to stay for the time being…'

'_Grazie _my friend but please don't bother over it. I'll go have a look around Venetia and visit _palazzo de la Setta. _In the mean time I'll have to find a way to solve this problem too. And to tell you the truth I don't feel like sharing the same room with that woman for now.'

'No need to explain. I know, I know.'

With a smile he opened his arms to exchange a hug and then left.

Ezio turned around and took some steps towards the crowd when he heard the door jerk open again.

He turned back to see the woman, not wearing the cape at all this time, stepping outside in the sun.

'Oh, and dear, don't bother to come back until you have found a suitable house for us to stay. I am tired of spending my life in the same room with your mother, brother, sister-in-low, and their _five _snotty toddlers.'

His eyes grew the size of tangerines at the sudden dramatic outburst and people around him stopped in their tracks, watching the woman shouting her discontent.

'To think that I was so naïve at 15 to choose you, a lazy, money-drinker man when I had sons of nobles ready to offer me everything I would have asked for. I should have listened to my poor old father!'

She made another dramatic pause before waving him away with the hand in the air.

'Now go and find an honourable job.'

She turned around ready to go inside when she stopped.

Ezio felt the blood leaving his face. What was she –

'And don't even think about coming back to me until you won't have the money to raise this child I'm with because of you!'

With that she vanished inside the house and the door slammed once again.

Ezio stared in shock, taking in what had happened. Then he growled and muttered curses. Angry he turned around only to realize that everyone present was now staring at him, men looking down on him and women whispering words of disgust.

She had done it this time.

'Mind your own business!'

Ezio waved at them and it took him a long distance not to hear any longer what an ungrateful and insensitive man he was and how men like him should deserve to be locked away in prisons. _Him? Ungrateful! And insensitive! _He who all his life had done nothing but respected women? All his life he had thought that every woman, regardless of who she was, or how she looked like, deserved to be treated with respect. But_, _oh, this woman was shaking his beliefs so very much. For her own good he hoped that Venetia wasn't such a gossip lover as Firenze.

* * *

And that was only the beginning of it. It was days after that when he met her again… apparently, just to make sure his day was miserable.

* * *

Ezio added his last 'income' in the pouched. Meeting Antonio and working with him had proved expedient. He was about to make his way down the roof when from an upper level he heard a faint set of running steps approaching; before he knew a dark shadow blocked the sun away and with a soft thud it landed meters away from him.

It was a matter of seconds until he recognised the sudden apparition.

'Shiva!'

The cape turned and if she had been set to continue her run now she stopped.

'If you don't have the money, don't bother to talk to me.'

With that she looked ahead and was ready to go for another leap.

'You can't be serious about this.'

'I am busy, Ezio!'

And her voice was grave enough to make him feel in the wrong place at the wrong time. She sprinted on the roof.

'Damn it, woman! Will you for once just let me finish what I have to say before stepping a-'

'Whatever you have to say, I am sure you can say it while running!'

'Why would I ru-'

But the words died in his mouth as the sound of other furious and much nosier steps reached his ears. His face fell and he was at least in some ways getting bored of these situations. Nevertheless when the angry voice of the guards came from the same roof she had leaped off from he had no other option but to put his feet into motion.

'Don't let the thief get away!'

He was trying to catch up with her as the voices followed not from great distance.

'Hey you! Both of you, stop right there!'

She kicked up the wall and Ezio did the same soon after.

'I hate you from the bottom of my heart.' He hissed through his teeth.

'Yeah, spare me the emotional moments.' They continued their running, taking corners, leaping from roofs to roofs until they found the opportunity to leap in the streets and to disappear between the merchants.

He was about to run down the next street when her hand grabbed his sleeve and pulled him through the wooden tables and behind a low garden wall.

'Why do you even bother to exhaust yourself with them?'

He looked at her and then at the guards that continued their targetless run past their hiding place.

'Those guards have their brains the size of peas.'

He didn't pay attention to her words.

'I don't even want to know what you've stolen this time. But could you please stop getting me involved?'

She looked through the entrance to make sure that the road was secure. Before stepping back she looked over her shoulder.

'I did tell you not to talk to me. But you seemed eager to express you deepest feeling for me on those roofs.'

She made her way through the busy plaza. Meters behind her he watched her slipping through people like a fish in the water and her hands working unnoticed, unseen. She was about to grab another pouch when he decided it was enough. Sprinting he grabbed her by the waist and pushed her away from the main road.

'What the hell is wrong with you? Don't you have limits?' Contrarily to the angry reaction he was expecting because of his actions she simply turned to face him and let out a short laugh.

'Why, do you have money for me?'

He looked at her and the image of her form caught between the wall and his body was the least he was expecting to happen.

His eyes grew wide when her hand started to travel up his hip to his waist. Panicked he caught it to stop the teasing move.

'What are you doing?'

But she refused to answer as her fingers gripped his belt and pulled the fabric until the front pouch of money folded in her palm.

'Damn… this little amount it's not even worth stealing.'

She sighed amused.

'Ezio… I'd pretty much like to breathe fresh air and not your sweat … and I sincerely hope that is the hilt of your sword.'

He rolled his eyes. He knew his body hadn't done anything stupid this time and that she had just been making fun of him, but he couldn't suppress his involuntary reaction of jumping backwards. Her sense of humour was awful.

Nonchalantly she stepped away from the wall and started to stroll down the street.

'Just to make things clear… I am not going to teach you how to steal or offer you stealth tips. For that you can go and bug Antonio's little bunch of thieves.'

So it was back to business. He took her invitation of pacing among the people of Venetia.

'You know of them.'

'Of course I know of them. Antonio's trained puppies are the best thieves you can get in Venetia, but that is beside the point. Don't expect me to teach you- you are going to do that yourself. I am simply going to show you how to use the environment in your advantage; how to think it before it becomes an obstacle. It is no secret that your attacks are –'

'Don't start the whole 'unrefined' thing. I've had enough of that from Antonio. What is it with thieves and aesthetics?'

Shiva laughed. 'You'll grow up and understand one day.'

He didn't appreciate her mocking tone. 'Sorry to disappoint you but you don't look old and wise yourself.'

'Are you by any chance asking about my age?'

'You don't look like the type to be offended.'

They reached a cross roads.

'Look, why don't you just go and play with paper boats somewhere along the canal? I really am busy.'

Somehow tension grew and it was not it a positive way. From the first time they met she had acted with superiority and treated him like a mite and each time he had said nothing.

'Don't you think you are overdoing it? Speaking to me as if I am nowhere close to your skills? The fact that I hired-'

She turned to him and cut his words.

'If the truth offends you that much then go on and throw a fit – that alone will say something.' The same voice, the same malicious words she had used during the night she had talked to him for the first time. 'You know what I don't like about you? You have an ego the size of the doge's palazzo and you can't accept that you aren't the best option around. Tell you what – I'll start treating you as my equal the day you'll stop asking for it and start acting upon it. Until then feel free to try keeping the pace.'

She stepped away into one of the directions.

'And this time do look for me when you'll have the money.'

Ezo watched her mixing between the people and sighed at her stubbornness and hot temper. He should be angry because of all those mean words but all he did was to let out a chuckle and shout after her.

'I thought my money weren't worth stealing.'

Indeed, his pouch was empty.

* * *

She had been keeping a _grudge _against him for weeks since the incident from the ferry. But during those weeks spent in Venetia he had learned that the more they interacted the more she was loosening up. One day he went to Leonardo to look for her but she wasn't there. He left the money there, happy to have one burden taken off his shoulders. It was almost scary how not even one day had passed until she made her appearance in front of the Basilica di San Marco.

She was seated on a set of stairs under a passageway and by the gesture of her head she had seen him as well.

Ezio went to her but she made no move to get up.

'Have a seat with me.'

He arched his eyebrow.

'On the stairs?'

But she gave no answer and he let his body down, leaning backwards on one of his elbows. They both stood quiet and simply stared at the patrolling guards. It wasn't an awkward silence – if anything at all it was a silence that gave away the lack of means to start a conversation. He watched the guards taking turns, the Brute always behind, their feet hitting the ground with force.

'Do you remember that time back in Florence? When you had slipped inside the bank right behind the guards…'

'Yes... that is quite a dangerous thing to do during daylight – the eye catches movements much more easily – not to mention other factors like attention or tiredness. Then you have to get the momentum. But for doing that…..' she craned her neck 'you have to master the ground.'

'Master the ground?'

Suddenly she got up. 'Make no sound.'

Shiva waited for him to do the same and both started to walk along the heavily guarded building.

'Some of the most important sounds you have to silence are those of your own steps. Leather boots are the best and the sole as flat and flexible as it can get; and of course soft – you don't want to sound like a horse on gallop. Once you have that covered…you have to know how to adjust your legs to the type of ground.'

She looked over her shoulder and took her time before continuing.

'The less problematic is the regular soil; being it covered with grass, rocky or pressed soil it stiffs the sounds easily. Unfortunately, you don't have much of that inside cities.'

She nodded at the patrol marching along the water.

'There are other types of grounds or possible grounds: marble, concrete, wood, glass, clay; I won't even bother thinking of all of them. You have to adapt your steps accordingly. In your advantage are those with a solid base like concrete or outdoors mosaic. As long as they are not in thin layers and don't hold any kind of gaps under they don't require much attention. But when it comes to interior grounds such as thin plates or wood planks, most of them have a skeletal foundation which makes the ground unsafe… plus there are other things that you have to take in consideration such as the quality, the condition, the possibility of echoes – those things come in time.'

She stopped, eyeing the guards under the arcades. 'You have to feel the ground under your feet, make sure that your steps hit it without making sounds, without leaving space for air or using too much force or too much speed.'

'And then…there are spaces like the roofs...which are a real pain to keep in control because they are irregular and unstable. But once you'll manage to run them unnoticed and unheard I guess you are in the game.'

After her long speech they stooped in the middle of the road and stared ahead. Truth being told he had never considered giving that much importance to such trivial things. All that she said was making perfect sense but it was also obvious. Just by owning that kind of information it can't possible make you a quiet presence. Old wood will still crack under your feet no matter how cautious you'll be and tiles will still move in and out of place.

'That's it?'

She sighed.

'What, do you think you can handle that?'

'That's nothing special about that…those are just fact.'

'No. You simply don't have the capacity of understanding the importance of those little things. You are not even willing to try.'

She was once again on the verge of insulting him. Before he had time to voice his thoughts she spoke again.

'Go on and try running along the passage when the guards are facing the other way – see if you can make it more than 7 meters before they'll hear you and come your way with their swords out of the sheath.'

'Why is it that you fire up so easily?'

'I don't.'

He looked at the cape and under his hood an eyebrow arched up, proving his point. She sighed admitting her mistake.

'Follow them along _the palace_' She pointed at the patrol. 'There are 4 of them: one agile, 2 officials and a brute;'

She was receiving an incredulous look from under the hood.

'I am serious. Listen to the sounds of their steps on the marble and focus on them. For once concentrate and use your brain for simple attention games.'

'You can't be serious.'

'You are the only one who is not serious.'

She stepped away and waited for him to leave. 'Meet you on the other side.'

Just because he wasn't in the mood to start another fight he did as such. Along the water he waited for the guards to retake their course and from their distant right Ezio strolled at their own pace.

He had to admit all those things the woman pointed out were interesting but he felt like he was currently losing his time and that she was actually planning to make him look like a fool.

He lowered his head and just because he was already doing it he tried to concentrate on the 4 sets of steps, leaving the rest aside. Slowly he picked up the differences between the Brute and the officials. The brute was nosy and the metal was scuffing the ground with each step whilst the other two were hitting their feet, clashing the sole with confidence. He frowned… the agile's feet were hard to detect, his shoes probably lighter than the rest. He looked their way – comparatively to the rest he was the most laid back but in the same time probably the first to react if something unusual would happen. Of them all, the agile reminded him of Shiva's movements the most.

When the guards came to a stop he continued up the stairs. Fine, so maybe she was right in accusing him of shallowness but that was still not enough to make him doubt her intentions of pulling his leg.

He crackled his neck and went to hide from the powerful sun at the shadow of one of the nearby buildings. He was about to lean on the wall when the cape dropped not 3 meters away from him. He tensed involuntary and still taken aback looked back and forth from the cape to the wall she had leaped off from.

'Where did you come from?'

She briefed her answer at a simple gesture with a hand, pointing towards the roof of the tall building.

Taking some steps back he looked up in disbelief at the row of archers scattered along the roof, a perfect expression of boredom written over their faces.

He frowned and glared at her from the corner of his eyes. He didn't need to take off her hood to feel the cunning smile she was wearing. He really hated that woman.

'Come on, let's go at Leonardo's.'

'Why?'

'I'll take you from step zero if you are doubtful about it. Leonardo's atelier is a safe place for practice and maybe he'll come up with something.'

They made their way in silence towards the atelier. Once there, Shiva knocked at the door but there was no answer.

'Not here I guess.'

But the woman didn't have to think twice before grabbing the two needles from her belt.

'You can't pick the lock just like that!'

'How else do you propose to get in?'

The lock let out a click and she pushed the handle, inviting herself inside. He followed soon and closed the door. Shiva paced around the empty atelier. 'I wonder how much it will take him to come back…'

He was about to throw a random answer at her when she quickened her steps towards the desk.

'I have an idea.'

'Is this the moment where I should lock you in a room without windows or tie you to a chair?'

But instead of answering to his sarcasm she picked up some leather bound books and a tankard after checking if it was empty. She spun on her heels and walked up the stairs to the attic.

'Follow me.'

Everything inside his mind was screaming not to do it but he rolled his eyes and went after her. She wouldn't take the risk of killing him, even if accidentally, in Leonardo's atelier, would she?

She pushed the trap to the roof and exited. In the meantime Ezio grew more and more restless about her idea. They were now both on the roof and Shiva lowered her hood, arranged the books and seated the tankard on top of them.

'Get your hood down and put these on your head.

'What?'

'You need to increase your trust in your own feet and your stability.'

'This is a joke. You seriously want me to do that?'

'I want you to put them on your head and cross this rooftop without losing them. I believe it's already too much to ask of you not to make any sound whilst at it.'

'…on a rooftop.'

'Of course! It would be a lot easier to do it on steady, plain ground. Once you've mastered the roofs you'll hardly have problems with other types of grounds.'

He stared at her trying to read through anything that might give away a joke or sarcasm.

'You are making fun of me. Not even kids do this kind of things these days.'

She sighed.

'You are not embarrassed by my idea, you are embarrassed by your own of confidence. You are embarrassed that you'll actually lose them and look like a fool. You don't trust yourself.'

She spitted those words and he angrily pointed his finger at her ready to answer back. But he only managed to hiss.

'You do it.'

She rolled her eyes.

'Do you realize how childish you sound?'

'If you show me the point of this stupid 'exercise' I'll have no reason to object to it.'

'Move.'

'What?'

'Step away; you are blocking the length of the roof.'

Not expecting her to actually do it he took one sidestep watching her positioning the books on her head and adjusting them.

She looked down for a second and carefully she took her first step. With hands by her sides and looking straight ahead, she calmly strolled along the roof, the tiles barely making noises under her feet. His skin was itching seeing how the tankard wasn't even trembling. And then, there she was: at the end of the roof, taking a uniform pirouette and smiling his way.

She took the books down and made her way back to him.

'Your turn.' And he swore that voice sounded sweeter than it should have.

Sceptical he took the books and eyed her as she was pointing him to put them on his head.

In the end he realized that he had no way out of it. Resigned, he let the hood fell and positioned the books above his head. She stepped closer to help and make sure that the tankard was placed in balance. When done she took some good steps backwards and motioned for him to come towards her. He took a long drag of air and tried to set off but on spot he felt the books wave above. In an instant he grabbed them, then while staying still as a stone he slowly let them go, both hands at millimeters distance for further assurance.

'If you are going to keep your arms above your head you'll lose balance.'

While he put himself into motion again he shot her a glare. Nevertheless, involuntary, once with the weight of the books shifting to one side so did the rest of his body. Again, panicked, he forcefully grabbed the books.

She shook her head. 'Only if you would listen.'

'This is stupid.'

'Thaen why can't you do it properly?'

He was about to answer her but no actual answer came to his mind. Instead he rearranged the books, strengthened his position and started to walk again.

Right at that moment through the trap in the roof Leonardo made his appearance.

'What on earth are you two doing up here?'

That made Ezio lose his balance and this time around he had no time to catch the books, nor the tankard and all he could do was to helplessly watch the metal roll down the roof and the written pages scatter all over the yard.

In an instant Leonardo was on the roof in pure shock and horror at the sight.

'My work! It's all… What was on your light obstructed mind when you took my work up here?'

'She took it.'

The woman crossed her arms and stared at him. 'That was very mature.'

She approached the edge near the two to have a better look down and let out a whistle.

'That's going to request some time to rearrange the papers.'

'You' the artist turned to face her. 'I know you are behind all this. Stop creating havoc everywhere you go!'

Instead of defending herself she used a rather calm tone.

'I was just trying to teach Ezo something.'

'Well, do it some other place!' then he turned with the same glare at Ezio. 'And you! Stop doing everything she tells you to. You have a brain! Use it or one day she'll make sure that you'll lose it literally!'

Ezio frowned while Shiva was already making her way to the opened trap.

'Come on boy toy. We have some papers to collect.'

Ezio watched her disappear inside the house.

'Boy toy?'

* * *

And truth being told, she had proven to be a master at putting his life in danger.

* * *

At times he would find himself remembering her words, and like a child, ashamed that he might be caught, he would find himself a secluded area and focus on his steps, on his movements and on the sounds.

And then, there was the fact that she was still angry. Not that he knew her well enough to be sure about it; his father knew her, and seemingly, his brother knew her. For him that was enough to treat her as a friend. But at the end of it all he knew few things about her; and all he knew was what Leonardo was willing to say.

He thought that once in Venice things would go differently. But she wasn't giving him any chance. Like a wild animal she would roam around the streets, with her own business, appearing and disappearing into crowds and shadows. And he had no real time to chase after her.

Days had passed and deeds had been made. Barbarigo was dead and Ezio was content with the way his agreement with Antonio had evolved. With all the fuss and planning he had managed to get the woman out of his head. But three days after his last assassination she materialised back into his life with the arrogant sound of hand clapping.

The assassin turned around to face the dark figure standing on the road between the people of Venice.

The thief let her hands fall and left the road to stop by his side, near the lamp of the docks.

'Impressive job you've done. I should probably stop by Leonardo's to take back my words. Unlike him, I never thought that you would actually listen to my words and put them in practice. I was almost sure that you would have needed Antonio's thieves' help to finish your assassination. But you have done great. Your presence almost got undetected by the guards.' Then her tone dropped. 'Almost… until you decided to jump at your target.'

By the end of her discourse Ezio was eyeing her in annoyance. If those were her ways of paying compliments than he pitied whoever would be the target of her insults. On a second thought he remembered going through that also.

'Old faces. Any longer and I would have thought you had run away.'

'Don't try to lie to a thief, _bambino. _If you have constantly caught sight of me around Venice, don't for a second think it had been without my will. Your eyes are not yet trained enough to catch the movements of someone who lives in shadows.'

He smirked at her smart tone. He couldn't see her face but he felt the amusement in her voice and considered how this might have been the first time when she was actually trying to humour him.

'And I know for a fact that you have seen me around. I still have a duty and I wouldn't like you to think ill of me.'

'Don't you ever consider that you are overestimating yourself?'

'Never.'

She turned to look at the small children playing with sticks over the stairs of the canal. Ezio, on his part let his eyes linger on the edges of the black cape. That is why her voice had caught him off guard.

'How is your balance?'

'My balance.'

But she only looked at him to step away.

'Come on. Let's put you to a test.'

By the time he decided to follow her Shiva was already in search for a ladder to climb onto.

'Thank you for asking if I am willing or if I have the time for whatever it is that you have in mind.'

He let her lead the way, watching her as she would occasionally stop, inspect the area and then walk about the roofs again. After minutes of what to him seemed aimless ambulation he sighed.

'What exactly are you looking for?'

She was about to face him, seemingly ready to give him a proper answer when she came to a halt.

'A-ha!'

Ezio followed her gaze and then watched her approaching one of the edges of the roof. Getting closer, he looked down, the same way she had recently done but saw nothing of specific interest. She stepped backwards and when he turned to ask her about it he caught sight of her unfastening her cape and letting it fall. He narrowed his eyes. He looked at her detach some pouches from her belt, and back at the canal of dirty water at the base of the building.

'Lose the cape.'

His eyes snapped back at her.

'What exactly are we doing here?'  
She stopped in front of him and grinned.

'Testing your balance.'

As she approached the edge of the roof again it all made sense to him. Right under her feet was a double rope connected from place to place with broken planks if not completely missing, making them unstable and feeble.

She stepped off the roof, and with opened arms for balance she loped half the distance towards the other side, turning on one foot.

Against his better judgment he found himself a little interested in the idea. Nevertheless he was still sceptic and with his guard up. When it came to her he felt there could never be terms like 'too careful'.

He eyed her cape and stepped next to it, taking down his as well.

'Make sure to get rid of everything heavy; or anything that might get destroyed in contact with water.'

He eyed her while in process of getting his spaulders off just to catch her big grin. It was as if her entire plan was just to see him fall in the water or the canal. Which probably was true but he was not willing to give her that satisfaction.

'I suggest you lose the rest of the armour too: belt, vambraces and blades. They will only make your work harder.'

Ezio looked directly at her. He felt a little uncomfortable by putting those down, they were permanent parts of his assassin costume but she was right. She also, was standing there, no weapons on her, just dressed in her completely black attire. He started to disarm and when finished he stepped towards the ropes. He looked up and her smile grew wider while she stepped backwards and gestured with her hand for him to come.

He looked down, not so to see where he would step but to hide his own grin. This was predicting itself to be entertaining.

Sure these things were harder to walk on than regular wires but he had in his advantage the fact that he had mastered the free run on roofs since childhood.

'What now?'

'Now, we'll play a game.'

Ezio made sure to fix his feet on both ropes and took the chance to step on a plank for better support.

'What are the rules?'

'The one left on his feet on these ropes wins. The one that falls into the water obviously loses. You can use your feet to shake the ropes, you can kick, or jump. You can also use your hands on the opponent by pushing him but you are not allowed to grab him. This is basically a game of balance. You have to learn to stand your ground against an external force.'

'That's simple.'

'Yes, it is simple; as long as you can focus entirely on the connection between your body and the ground.' And to prove her point she suddenly leaned to the right, bending her knees and shaking the ropes in the other direction. Caught off guard Ezio tensed and his attention was immediately on his feet to counterbalance the wave. 'This is why we'll make use of an opponent attack.' As the old rope steadied she stepped towards him, her eyes not once leaving his figure. 'You need to learn to predict the environment so that it won't turn against you. And the most common mistake and also rather limited is looking down. One should never look down or get distracted by the environment when facing an opponent.'

Ezio locked eyes with her for a moment and then lowered his eyes to watch the surface of the water. Sure, looking down is a well-known mistake but she was absurd if she believed that one could stand his ground without considering his situation. It was then when the rope waved dangerously behind him, disappearing from his sight and a brutal push in the back sent him forward. Somehow in the back of his mind he had a familiar feeling of something similar happening to him along his lifetime. The water hit him like a lash and once completely swallowed by it he waited to regain control over the weight of his body before pushing himself back to the surface. Ezio passed a hand up his face to get the wet hair out of his eyes and spitted the filthy and smelling water that he had unwillingly taken during the fall. He looked up only to see the ropes still shaking from his unpleasant fall, and Shiva, regardless the instability of the rope, hands crossed across her chest and a smug smile on her face.

'I do remember specifically telling you not to look down.'

He narrowed his eyes and flared back at her arrogant shouts.

'That's cheating.'

'Stop blaming your lack of attention on your adversary and come back up here.'

He threw her one last dirty glare before swimming to a side. On his way back to the roofs he considered how lucky she was that at least the evenings in Venice were warm during this time of the year or his wish for vengeance would have been more powerful.

He found himself up again on the set of ropes and he hated how the water was dropping down his clothes, making movement also more uncomfortable.

He gripped the edge of his shirt and started to twirl the water out of it.

She bounced gently on the rope waiting for him to be ready for the game. With his head still down he eyed her legs with a calculated glare.

'You are something. Can you for once play by the rules? Or that's what you do on regular basis: cheat and rob?'

'You're complaining worse than a child.'

He pretended to adjust his shirt when with a sharp move he stretched his arm towards her feet for an attack. He couldn't believe when his hand hit air and his eyes managed to catch just the landing of her backwards jump. Already bent forward, the impact of her feet hitting the rope made his ground even more unstable. In his struggle to regain balance he pushed himself up and threw his arms in the air but he was too late to stop her abrupt strike. With the rope already swinging forcefully under him, on instinct he tried to step backwards to avoid her hit, but despite this he knew she was going to reach him. He lost balance and side-spun, catching himself from a fall on only one of the ropes. Waving for a promising renewed balance he realized that her attack was never completed. Instead, before he could process all the movements she was in front of him, on the other rope, almost breathing in his face.

'Boo!'

He had no idea what overtook him that moment – most definitely it wasn't her sharp voice but the sudden closure that acted as a blade between his brain and body because he found himself falling backwards again cursing the ambush of gawky mistakes he had made until his back hit the water.

He submerged and shook his head in annoyance, freeing his sight of water in the same time.

'Are you for real? If that's your level of balance, you are rather disappointing.'

'No! That was you cheating!... again!'

She shook her head but her satisfaction towards her victory was easy to spot with her grin.

Soon after, he found himself eyelevel with her again, more determined than ever to take her down.

He tested the rope under his feet and silently cursed that even if this was one of his fields she still managed to make a fool out of him. With a steady bounce he jumped forward for an attack. He pushed the rope to one side and threw his arm the opposite direction to block her swing. Ezio found himself as the attacker while Shiva was effortless moving along the ropes, in perfect balance. His eyes narrowed and in a crouch he extended both arms to sweep her off her feet but found himself in a desperate reach for the ropes when she forcefully pushed herself into them and fled into a backflip perfectly landed, sending the wires into an even more powerful shake. Looking up at her he was received by her clever smirk. Still in a crouched position he was waiting for the ropes to calm down. His eyes might have been fixed on her face, but his situation was allowing him an even more appreciative sight over her position.

Still watching her he whistled.

'Impressive.' He paused. 'You even used a singer rope for landing.'

Suddenly her eyes narrowed as his voice gave his intentions away. Her instincts proved to be right only when she registered a heinous smirk on his face. But it was relatively late because in the same time he pulled the rope she was standing on as powerful as he could, while distancing the other, taking it out of her immediate reach. She flipped again but it was exactly what Ezio hoped for her to do because in her air momentum he pulled in the other direction, making her leg slip at the landing. He was grinning with victory when he felt the rope going down with a weight. Her hand had gripped the rope. As fast as she could she threw her other hand around the rope and brought her knees to her chest, sending her body in a twirl.

In less than seconds she was back on the rope.

'Dammit! You are worse than a leech! Are you glued to that damn rope?'

He watched her crouched form and knew something bad was about to happen when a sudden, horrifying sweet smile adorned her face. He absorbed her every move and watched how she slowly took her hands off the rope and carefully placed them next to her, on the other rope, sending her in what must have been an uncomfortable position. Ezio's eyes went wide with realization and he tried to do his best to get up in time, but she outran him again. Before he could send his entire weight over a single rope she pushed violently into her arms and feet creating a large gap between the two ropes. The man knew already that his fall was inevitable so with a last effort, instead of trying to rebalance he threw himself ahead, gripping one of the ropes and pushing it hard enough to make the closest unstable plank snap and create an even bigger distance between the two cords. That distance Shiva had not calculated and her feet lost contact with one end whilst the other rope slipped from under her hands. Sincerely, the thought of his grip being so powerful never crossed Ezio's mind; everything that he had wished was to take the woman down with him. But somehow, lady luck had played in his advantage and he was now staring down into Shiva's citrine eyes and the only thing that was still keeping her hanging: his own hand. The woman looked at their linked hands and then into Ezio's eyes and frowned at what she saw.

'You wouldn't.'

'Give me one reason why I shouldn't.'

At that her lips formed a line.

'I thought the same.'

In an instant his hand loosened up and her body fell under the call of gravitation.

By the time she had resurfaced he was fighting his way back. At first she was ready to throw some insults his way but seeing him struggling with the two still feeble ropes put a smile on her face as she made her way out of the water. By the time she was back on the roof he had also managed to master the set of cords. He looked up to see her unbuttoning her leather vest and letting it fall near the rest of her stuff. As she approached the edge again she tried to adjust the shirt now full of water and clung to her body. Through her movements Ezio caught sight of the usual bindings she was wearing. If he was to check his memory, comparatively with the last time he had seen her wear them, now they were doing a more poorly job than back then, when her womanly body was barely visible behind her clothes. Suddenly he was finding the situation slightly unfair as he was the one wearing white shirts and she was entirely dressed in opaque black.

'Just because you managed to throw me down doesn't change the fact that you still have difficulties in maintaining a good balance.'

Securing her weight over the ropes she advanced to the middle section, facing him.

The game began once again. It wasn't sure who had made the first move but now they were focused on making the other lose their stability. Ezio's arm snapped ahead while she continued to keep distance through backsteps. Each time she would attack to the eyelevel he would make sure to crouch and reach for her knees. Truly, he was amazed with her flexibility and her easiness to sway out of his reach and into perfect balance. At times they would both stop at an out of reach distance to breathe and calculate their movements. During one of these moments she caught his eyes and huffing a heavy bang of hair out of her face she grinned. Suddenly she launched forward and vanished from his sight, pivoting on the plank she had found under her foot, taking him off his feet. He had learned by now to pay closer attention to her middle down attacks as, unlike her, his body wasn't permitting him the same agility and there was no way that he could perform acrobatic stunts that she was clearly capable of . Even so in his fall he grabbed the rope and lost not a single moment to swing himself back up. As their game was becoming more aggressive and fluent the sky was changing colours of red an orange upon their heads and Venice. At first they had been tensed, but after repetitive falls and smarting hits there was a permanent good humour, regardless the occasional pain and discomfort from the soaked clothes. They were growing tired and at times they would found themselves breathing hard but Ezio's face was adorned with a youthful grin. He remembered the days of childhood; at least for the time being it felt alright to forget the burdens of Venice and the duties he still has to fulfill. At times the children that were playing along the canal would stop on their way back home and gaze at them, cheering while the oldest brats would place bets. He couldn't name the last time he had allowed himself to have so much fun; the more he would look at her the harder was for him to concentrate and not laugh as she was facing him with the same grin and the looks of a wet cat, clothes stuck to her body and her hair, still caught in a low ponytail, falling heavily on her shoulders along with some of her free fringe.

That evening Ezio had made contact with the water of Venice for too many times in a row, not that she was doing any better. He got called names and even found himself in the embarrassing position of being slapped over his arse by the woman, concluding with another impact with the water, of course. Nevertheless, he had his doubts that, were he to do the same to her, she wouldn't have been all claws over him.

They had come to realize that is was time to stop and leave when the chilly wind of the evening had started to reach their skin through the soaked cloths. Back on the steady ground of the roofs Ezio was having a hard time to adjust to the lack of movement and dizzying swings. He bent down to recover his belongings and grimaced.

'I stink.'

His sincere statement triggered a laughter he wasn't sure that he had the chance to hear until that day. Shiva was also busy doing the same thing but apparently their evening game had put her in a good mood.

'I think a bath would do the trick.'

'Unfortunately Leonardo is out of the city so I have to find an alternative for the nonce.'

He saw her eyebrow going up in incredulity.

'I did tell you that I was looking or an apartment in Venice. You can make use of it as much as you like; the rent is paid from your money anyway.'

At that it was Ezio's turn to eye her sceptically.

She simply smirked while making sure everything was back in place.

'I believe we can manage sharing the same space. Which brings me to a curiosity of mine…where do you usually live in Venice?'

At that Ezio took some moments to answer. For a reason unknown to him suddenly he was feeling embarrassed of what he had to say.

'Around.'

She stopped and stared at him, clearly not understanding what he meant by that. Then her eyes grew a little and her lips formed an 'o'.

'Oooh… around.' And he couldn't read her thoughts behind her narrowed eyes and grinning mouth (and he asked himself why he would even care). 'Well, that was just an offer since I am technically working for you, but… I wouldn't want to interfere with your...lifestyle.' And yes, the last part was filled with ironic humour.

'No, it's..'

But she was picking her cape and already making her way across the roof. 'Even if I were to go _somewhere_ I don't think my present state would be very much appreciated.'

She turned around with the same grin, drops of water still falling from her hair and chin.

'The offer is still standing. Actually for days now I've been carrying around a spare key.'

Ezio smirked. After the entire scene she had made the first day they have arrived in Venice he would have never taken her as the type to concern over the other party. It crossed his mind that she might actually be used with being hired for her skills; and considering the numbers she was demanding all her customers must be loaded with money. But he refrained from asking her such things. He preferred her better in one of her happy moods.

He followed her down the roofs.

'Where did you learn to move like that?'

She looked at him with sincere curiosity.

'I'm sorry?'

'I was referring on all those moves you've pulled on the rope. They reminded me of your getaway at Siliviani back in Florence.'

At that she smiled, giving away a hint of pride.

'It took me some years to master it.'

'No need to argue that.'

She made her way to the edge of a roof and jumped up the other, cape still under her arm.

'When I was fourteen I ran away from home. Down the roads I took I crossed paths with the caravans of a nomad circus. I spend some time with them and I learned by watching and asking. Then I taught myself everything that my mind had registered while living among them.'

He frowned, learning more things about her than he was expecting.

Ahead of them was a long roof and Shiva stopped. She must have sensed his thoughts because she stretched her arm towards him.

'Hold this.' She said eyeing her cape. Ezio took it never losing her out of his sight.

She smiled once again before turning to face the length of the roof.

'And watch closely.'

Positioning herself on the wooden middle section of the roof she took a deep breath and she shook her gloved hands. In an instant she sprinted across the roof; with one hit of her feet she sent her body into repetitive cartweels, rounded off into backflips until she flipped her legs like scissors, her hands not even touching the ground anymore. She pushed harder into the grounds and her body was sent up, pivoting up in the air and somersaulting more than once until she landed perfectly, facing him from across the roof.

There she stood, grinning from ear to ear.

'That made my bones hurt just by watching.'

The woman laughed.

'What are you talking about? That was refreshing.'

He smiled as he approached her. 'Speak for yourself.'

Still amused she took back the cape and he let her lead the way.

It came to his surprise when she slowed the pace in a rather upper-class part of Venice. Then, she begun to climb and launched herself on a terrace. Already with a lot of question in his head he continued to follow. From there she jumped on a wall fence, sidestepped on the other side of it and stopped in front of a large double window, ready to pick the lock.

Umm…what are you doing?'

'Getting inside? What does it look like to you?'

'You live here?' He looked around. Right from where he was standing he could have a clear view over the doge palace_**.**_

'Yes.'

Then it hit him.

'Then why don't you use the main entrance?' The building was clearly a condominium and probably had an owner too.

'I rather not attract the landlord's attention while walking on the corridors of his property looking like this.' She eyed him from the corner of her eyes. 'And you don't smell any better.'

With that she pushed the window open and slipped inside.

Doing the same he found himself stoned to the ground. Since he had set foot on Venetian ground he had a hard time finding himself a quiet place to spend the night. Either disturbing Leonardo or paying visits to generous _signore, _he had, as he had previously stated, lived _around. _At times he would pay a host, because he felt too much of a burden for Leonardo, and women as lovely presence as they were they could also be… too chatty. And it would have never crossed his mind to complain about it. _Never!_ Until that day; until that precise moment! She was a thief as far as he remembered; working with blackmail, buying and selling favours. Last time he had checked thieves weren't comfortable with fancy, eye catching lifestyle.

He really, really hated the moment when Alvice had left them alone.

'The bath is over there. There is water in the basin in the next room. It should still be hot. The maids of the house take care of it each evening.'

'Maids?' But his question was for himself and rather sarcastic.

Nonetheless he stepped inside the large room and looked around. On one of the walls was the container she had been talking about, conveniently close to the washing basin.

He stepped further inside and looked behind, into the other room. Sure, the basin wasn't visible in one half of the room. He coughed uncomfortably and went to close the door between the rooms.

That's when she laughed.

'Don't worry about that. I'll be out for some minutes so you can relax and take your time.'

As she was speaking he watched her taking something from one of the drawers and put it in one of the pouches of her belt. He continued to follow her movements with curiosity and suppressed his urge to ask her where she was going. He knew she wasn't going to answer.

She stepped on the window frame and disappeared into the semidarkness of the evening.

He wondered what business she had at a time like that, not to carry her cape and clothes still soaked on her.

Still he turned and found himself alone in the apartment.

Minutes later he was leaning backwards with his arms widely parted on the edges of the rich basin. In the warm water his muscles were in complete relaxation and so was his mind. Since his tracks have brought him to Venice he never had the opportunity of this comfort. The windows were left open and the nice breeze of the evening was working like magic in contrast with the warmth of the bath, making his eyelids heavy. He breathed in and let his body deeper into the water.

He couldn't understand the woman. She was always cautious and silent, moving in shadows. Nothing of her image screamed extravagancy, yet here he was – in her apartment, in the kind of environment she was living privately. Yet, her eyes were rich and likewise was the way in which she carried herself. Leonardo's words came into his mind; she had noble origins and expectedly this type of life was already part of her. But then again – as she mentioned – she had ran away from home. What could have caused that decision at such a young age? Ah, those were such complicated questions and he felt like he could fall asleep on spot.

Afraid of that outcome he opened his eyes and emerged from the basin. With a towel to dry himself he realized that his clothes were still wet and dirty on the tiles of marble. He sighed and was about to go and grab them when the main door of the other room opened almost quietly. He narrowed his eyes and with a sharp move he took one of the knives from his gear. It clearly wasn't Shiva – at his hour she wouldn't take the risk of being seen by the other residents of the condominium.

In silence he stepped towards the glass doors, hearing the set of steps approaching from the other direction. He waited until he knew that the intruder was near and spun around the wall to face the target.

In that moment a high pitched sound echoed through the rooms and Ezio's eyes grew in stupor at the sight of a horrified young lady, screaming over her lungs.

'No, no! Sinorigna! _Prego_, don't be afraid!'

As on sign the girl, dressed in dark simple clothes stopped but her chest was still rising at a fast speed and suddenly her cheeks coloured in red.

For a second time Ezio found himself in shock; he was standing completely naked in front of the woman.

'_Cazzo!'_

At that the girl averted her eyes and looked down. Still embarrassed she started to babble until actual words came out of her mouth.

'_La- la signorina _left a note to come and br-bring up here a set of clothes for men.'

Only then he managed to recognise the pile of fabric, now all messed up and tightly pressed against her chest.

With that, still looking down, the brown haired woman pushed the clothes towards him.

Furrowing he took the clothes and embarrassed at the shock the innocent girl was going through he tried to cover as much as he could.

'Thank you, _bella_.'

He instantly regretted his words because, if possible, the colour in her cheeks deepened.

Looking around he stepped back into the other room and went directly behind the wooden screen to put the clothes on.

After a moment of silence the young woman cleared her throat.

'If _sinore_ is done bathing, please allow me to empty the bathing basin.'

'You don't have to. I'll manage tha-'

'Oh no, please!' She cut him down sharply. 'I can't let you do that. _Signora _asked me to do so if possible.'

At that he narrowed his eyes at her through the edges of the screen planks. Shiva was something. And sincerely he wanted to venture all his embarrassment on her at that moment.

'If you must.'

With small but quick steps she proceeded to do her work. While putting a shirt over his head Ezio continued to watch the girl emptying the basin with a large bowl and throwing the water down a large pipe in the wall.

'So, when did _signora _tell you to do all this?' He tried to make some conversation.

'Oh, but she didn't. She left a note downstairs.'

'I see.' Ezio stepped out and passed a hand through his hair. The girl looked at him with her round eyes for a moment, then with a smile on her face continued to work.

'_Signorina _is a very busy woman. We barely get to see her.'

Thinking back at her unorthodox ways of entering the apartment he couldn't blame the poor girl.

'Done!'

The girl got on her feet and before leaving for the other room she lighted the candles at the mirror. Ezio followed her to the door where she stopped to bow.

'If you need anything at all please come and knock on the last door of the ground floor. My family and I are responsible with the maintenance of the apartments.'

'Thank you.'

'_Con piacere.'_

With that she bowed again and closed the door after her, her cheeks painted rosé.

Alone again he sighed and turned to the room. He advanced to the window to have a look outside when movement from the other room caught his attention. By the time he reached the door he heard the sound of running water. In the doorway he simply stared at the ashed haired woman pouring new warm water in the basin recently emptied.

'When did you get inside?'

'While you were chatting with the maid.'

Only when she was done the woman looked up.

'Oh, I see she managed to find something for you.' She noted pointing at the clothes.

Remembering the awkward moment he narrowed his eyes.

'You could at least have warned me.'

At that she simply smiled coyly as if she knew of the scene.

Then she got up from the edge of the basin and started to unbutton her vest. Still waiting for a reaction from her part he continued to stay in the doorway patiently. But, unlike his expectations she said nothing and once the vest was off so were the boots and the shirt. That moment he realized that she was acting as if he wasn't there he tensed. She would have to stop at one time just to look up at him and tell him off if anything at all. Then again she proceeded to her bindings, unfastening the ends and rolling the strip off.

She was half turned his way so he looked at her in disbelief when the piece of cloth fell to the ground.

'What are you doing?'

'Preparing for a bath.' She let her hair loose and brought her hands to the edge of her trousers. Out of instincts and thanks to the education his mother had given him he looked away.

'Do you have to do it so deliberately in front of a man?'

'Well, this is a bathroom. If one of us should leave it's clearly not me.'

He heard the remaining fabric slid down and he felt like kicking himself for having to fight his curiosity to peep.

'And it's not like I have something that you haven't seen already.'

He found himself like thunderstruck at her way of judging the current situation.

'Did the thought that I am a man and you are a woman ever cross your mind?' He heard the water tremble as she was probably getting inside the basin. 'And that what you do is called indecency?'

'Whatever. It's not like you're stupid enough to throw yourself at me.'

At that all his senses of modesty vanished and with all the dullness he was capable of he turned to look at her.

'That was not the point.' He didn't know if he should act angry of horrified at her.

She breathed out slowly and closed her eyes. Thankfully – for her, might he have added- from where he was standing he could see just the back of her head, shoulders and knees.

'It's not about me. You are just… reckless.'

He gave up and left her, already knowing that from now on he had no hopes of making her speak. Looking at the large bed he wanted to voice the rest of his thoughts but he had reached the conclusion that they would have been pointless on her. She was either overconfident or underestimating her body too much. Maybe she wasn't the type that would trigger his attention but when it came to men, regardless the class or age they would always react to a woman's body.

He decided to let his body fall on the sofa and face the ceiling to prevent him from stealing glances her way. She was a mess and also confusing him endlessly. Like that he waited for her to come out until his eyelids fell exhausted under the smooth sound of the water in the next room.

When he had woken up it was already morning and for a moment he had panicked not fully remembering where he was or how he ended up there. When everything begun to make sense he got up from the sofa and looked around. He was alone and Shiva was nowhere to see. Her clothes and also the cape were gone. He paced around the room and stopped in front of the window. There, on the frame was a key. He knew where it was from and he also knew what it meant.

* * *

From there on the time he had to spend in Venetia was going back to its course.

At times they would meet on streets; at times he would catch sight of her across Venetia. He could not stop himself from wondering what else she was doing during the entire time she was out of his sight. There were nights when he would return to rest at the apartment but he would rarely find her there. She would come to instruct him with other knowledge and put him into practice, conveniently each time he was finding himself unattached to any affair with Antonio or Leonardo. At her insistence he had brought her with him at the Basilica di San Marco where of course she did not lose the chance to make him look like a novice with her skills and agility. At times like those he was ready to explode; he hated the way she was treating him, as if she was out of his league and he - an inexperienced brat. But it was also out of pride that he was restraining himself not to; it would have probably given her the satisfaction of being right. However, during the past few weeks he had learnt to live with it.

When Leonardo was less busy they would occasionally meet at his place and even eat together. Everything that he was going through had a mad pace. His activities with Antonio had brought to light some disturbing facts over the reign of Venice and for the times to come he had a bad feeling. Everywhere he went there was a conspiracy against the well development of things and Venice was not an exception. If he had to face all these to reach Rodrigo Borgia he would do it without hesitation. But before going any further his mind would turn back with concern at _Monteriggioni_**; **before going any further he should at least pay a visit to see how things were evolving at the villa, to check on his family and of course to collect the income.

That represented the last payment he had towards Shiva. Would that mean finally getting the burden of her presence off his shoulders? Not that he minded her presence that much - it was just her personality that bothered him; but he would have felt better to know that his debt had been paid and their contract fulfilled. Would she completely disappear once they were officially over with it?

He had left Leonardo with Shiva in the atelier after they had helped the artist to bring his newly shipped canvas to his house.

While Ezio was re-entering the atelier Leonardo passed by him like an arrow, clearly in a bad mood. He stepped inside and localised Shiva on her favourite place, sitting on the table.

'What happened to him?'

She shook her head bored.

'He's just overreacting over his inventions.'

He nodded, still unsure what to make of her words and looked around. His eyes fell on a peculiar skeleton of wood with mirrors attached to some of its elongations.

'What is this supposed to do?'

'I have no idea. I believe you have to make use of it to find out.'

Curious he approached the rather fragile looking machinery and eyed it with interest.

'Are you ready for a race across the eastern district after?'

He looked at her with scepticism.

'Don't throw me that look. I say you are rather capable of a fair race with me right now.'

'Has anyone told you how arrogant you sound?' his attention turned again to the thing in front of him. Of course he would take the challenge but she was worse than a snobbish rich man. She should die alone and spare any man of the torture of having to stand her.

Trying to keep himself busy he brought one arm up and tapped one of the arms of the invention.

'Maybe you should try to the link at the middle section. I think it's supposed to rotate of sorts.

He narrowed his eyes and analysed the connecting nut she was talking about. He stretched his arm further and tried to move the wooden extension. At that point a spring snapped and two of the arms holding mirrors fell upside-down.

Shiva leaned backwards and made a grimaced while Ezo simply stared at the machinery. Something was telling him that whatever had happened it hadn't been good.

'Is it supposed to do that?'

She simply shrugged when Leonardo returned into the room.

He was about to tell them something when his eyes fell on his invention and his face darkened.

'Santa Maria, what have you done?'

His lower lip trebled for a second. 'Shiva! I told you not to touch it!'

At his words she looked terribly offended.

'Why do you shout at me for? He did it!'

Then his eyes fell on Ezio full of annoyance and exasperation.

The assassin brought his hands up in defense while he tried to find words to explain himself. It was a fact that Leonardo was a good man until you mess with his work.

'I- ..it was…'

While Ezio was babbling for an excuse, silently on the tips of her feet Shiva was making her way towards the exit.

Leonardo went to check his unfinished and now partially ruined experiment and half resigned he looked disappointingly at Ezio.

'Ezio, haven't you learned until now not to do what she does? Not to do what she says?'

At that Shiva stopped in the doorway ready to defend herself but the artist cut her off.

'Get out! Both of you! You're worse than uneducated children.'

Neither of them wasted a second before doing as they had been told, with Ezio closing the door right behind him.

Once outside they looked at each other and breathed relieved before making their way down the streets.

'Cranky mood. He got up on the bad side of the bed, huh?'

Ezio nodded still happy that he managed to escape the wrath of the artist. But then he realized the real facts and shot her a dirty glare.

'Hey. It was your fault. You knew that thing was fragile to start with.'

'But I have no authority over your action. It would have been out of place to tell you what to do and what not to.'

Before putting her hood back on she smiled terrifyingly innocent his way.

'I am after all, working at your services.'

He was about to tell her to bite him when she turned her attention on the road.

'Would you come to Monteriggioni with me?'

He had absolutely no idea where that had come from. Sure he had lots of things in mind set to say to her but that, surely as day, hadn't been one of them.

And by the way she spun to look at him she was as unprepared for that as he was.

"Monteriggioni?"

Great, what was he about to say now?

'Yes. It's your last payment I am going after anyway, so why not?'

In silence she stared with a calculated power into his eyes as if there was a catch and she wanted to reveal it. But she found nothing.

'Very well.'

With that she slowly turned around and continued to walk among the people of the streets.

* * *

**End of chapter 12**


	13. building memories

**A.N**: Here is the 13th chapter. Have a nice reading, darlings.

* * *

_**Capitolo tredici**_

* * *

They had travelled by horse almost the entire night. When the two travelers passes the borders of Tuscany the fog of the morning was installing. It took them another couple of hours to reach the walls of Monteriggioni. In perfect silence they saddled off and secured the horses to the stall.

Ezio stepped ahead and stopped under the gates taking a long breath of air.

'So, I guess this is Monteriggioni. As the saying goes: please feel at home.'

The black hood passed by him and once inside the citadel she started to look around the grey city.

'Mmm, you wouldn't want that… I burned four of the rooms and the gallery when I was 11.'

'Errmm…. Fine. Then, act like a guest?'

The thief snickered.

As they were advancing towards the villa, people were starting to recognize Ezio and salute him, welcoming him back home.

'So, how do you find Monteriggioni?'

'A little bit foggy ….and muddy.' She ended looking at her boots. 'Not the happiest place I've seen.'

'Well, I am sorry that things don't get done with a clap of the hands. And you shouldn't be the one to complain either or should I remind you where my last two incomes are heading towards?'

'You asked. And you didn't even let me finish.'

He shook his head.

'You should have seen this place when I first came here.'

'Hmm, you wouldn't have appreciated me scoping around.'

'You must feel really awkward now that you are entering someone's house with his permission and knowledge. If it makes you feel any better I can always pretend we didn't come together and you can use the backdoor.'

Under the cape she rolled her eyes.

'Ha.'

Whilst they passed the fountain her eyes didn't miss the Assassin seal.

Before they could reach the upper level Ezio knew by the sound of clattering swords that someone was at the training ring. As predicted two of his uncle's men were offering a 'show' to the ones gathered around. When they stopped, one of the men, fairly well dressed in comparison, strong appearance and with a deep scar running along his left eyes left the cheering circle and turned to them.

'Nepote!'

The man threw his arms in the air.

'You are back!'

The assassin stepped towards him and exchanged the greetings.

'How have you been uncle?'

'Well enough! If I only knew you were coming.'

Then he looked past his nephew's shoulder.

'And who might this woman you brought with you be?'

Ezio turned around and was about to answer when something crossed his mind.

'How did you know?'

The man eyed him curiously.

'Know what?'

'That she is a woman?'

Mario looked at the man a little confused but exploded into laughter.

'How couldn't you? She's slender and tall. And by the elegant way she stands. You could recognise a woman under that cape just by that.'

Ezio frowned.

On her part the woman rolled the hood off and smirked towards the two; it looked like flamboyance was running in the family.

'You don't give up, do you?'

'Well, you did grow up during the years.'

'I won't even bother with the meaning of that.'

She approached them and extended her hand.

'Shiva.'

The man looked at the hand not really used to greet a woman with a handshake. Still unconvinced he joined his enormous hands with her small gloved one.

'Mario Auditore.'

She smiled cunningly.

'I know who you are.'

Then, without another word she went to the stairs. When she was half way Ezio let down his hood down and called after her.

'Before you go any further…- don't touch anything; I have my values counted.'

The older man, still confused about the sudden events but clearly amused by them, spoke up.

'Are you calling her a thief?'

That's when she turned around and bowed reverentially.

'The best you'll ever have. And since your nephew is paying me, I am currently at your services.' Grinning she turned back and headed towards the villa.

'Not modest either.' But then the man realized something even more important. '_Paying _her?'

Ezio tapped the man on the shoulder.

'Come on. I'll explain everything inside.'

When the two men reached the main hall Ezio frowned; she was nowhere to see.

'What…? Where did she go? Damn it! Of all the times.'

It wasn't long after his curses that a set of running steps were heard.

'Ezio!'

The voice was followed by the image of a young woman appearing from one of the rooms and jumping straight into his arms.

'You are back!'

'Claudia! _Come stai_?'

He hugged his sister and laughing he pushed her a little to have a better look at her smiling face.

'Look at you. You look so well!'

The girl, now a girl of 24, laughed and her checks caught more colour.

But then he remembered his current situation.

'Listen Claudia, have you seen a woman around the house?'

'A woman?' His sister didn't quite understand his question. 'No…. Should I?'

He sighed.

'Where has she disappeared to? Give me a moment; I'll be back.'

He took off to the backcourt.

It took Claudia some moments to try and make some sense out of her brother's words. Then, she slowly approached her uncle, still eyeing the place where her brother had gone to.

'Did he bring home a woman?'

The man pinned his hands on the hips and let out another blast of laughs.

'So he did. And it looks like he has already lost her.'

'Aaaaaaa…' Well, she didn't quite understand his uncle's statement. 'Well, he had never brought before a woman home, so…'

Then she jumped, an idea crossing her mind.

'Oh! Should I tell mama? I guess I should since- '

But the man stopped her, still laughing.

'I don't think your brother would appreciate it. And something tells me that Maria would have something to say against the nature of their relationship too.'

'What? Why? Is she poor? Is she ugly?'

'Who's ugly?'

Ezio appeared from a different room from where he had left, still more concerned to look around than their conversation.

'The woman you brought.'

He arched an eyebrow.

'What does it matter if she's ugly or not?'

'Well, you wouldn't marry am ugly woman wouldn't you, brother?'

'Marry?' Then he realized what all this was about. 'Marry! God forbid no! If that woman were to marry it would be because the man is putrid rich and his body easy to dispose of in the closest river.'

'Why thank you!'

They all instantly looked at the main door from where Shiva was currently sending a not so happy glare towards the man.

'Where have you been?' He hastened his steps towards her, clearly not amused himself. 'Can't you for once stay put?'

'Is that how you treat your guest? You tell them to 'stay putt'?'

'Is that how guests behave? They run around the place as if they own it?'

'How should I know? The last person whose invitation I accepted was rich and I disposed his body in the closest river.'

After hissing it in his face she stepped past him and continued into the hall.

He narrowed his eyes confused and turned after her.

'Really? Who was he?'

She shrugged and looked over her shoulder.

'You are the first one to invite me as far as I can remember.'

Realizing she was once again playing with him he rolled his eyes and went after her.

'You must be Claudia.'

The girl looked at the golden eyed woman in front of her. Still confused she simply nodded.

'Claudia. Have a good look at her. Analyse her and memorize everything she does. Then, bear in mind, never –ever to follow her examples.'

While the girl was eyeing both of them Shiva arched an eyebrow at his joke.

'Why, can't handle another clever tongue around you?'

'No. I just value modesty more in a woman. Like any educated man does.'

'Charming. I bet modesty didn't help all those women that passed through your bed in keeping their dignity in your eyes after.'

She then stepped backwards.

'But what do I know of values? I'm better at appreciating that which from time to time have a sparkle of their own.' She continued, fascinated by the sophisticated candelabrum.

Ezio followed her annoyed.

'Don't listen to a single word she says. She's the devil.'

Claudia might not have discovered yet what was going on but she found herself amused for a reason still unknown to her.

'Ok.'

'Sooo…'

'Uncle, can we discuss this in the office?'

'Of course.'

'Shiva?'

The woman looked at him and nodded. She followed the older man, leaving Ezio behind.

'Claudia, how is mother?'

The girl sighed.

'As usual I suppose. She rarely leaves her room.'

The tall man put a comforting hand on her shoulder.

'I'll go visit her as soon as I settle.'

When her brother stepped away she called him.

'How long will you stay? You're not going to leave as fast as you did last time?'

'No.' He laughed. 'I have planned to remain at the villa for two or three days.'

Claudia nodded and let his brother take his leave.

When he entered the room his uncle was near the desk while the thief was standing in front of the wall with the codex pages, intensely staring at them.

'Close your mouth.' He huffed a laughter.

'But this is brilliant. I mean, besides the information they hold. Do you see how well they fit? And to imagine that there are so many out there.'

At that moment he wanted to tell her about the map but he realized it would have only spiced her interest up and he was tired from the long journey.

'How have things been around here?'

'Ah, they are going better and better. I can see this town flourishing. And the income of the villa is increasing considerably each month.'

At that Ezio glanced at the woman but to his relief she was too captivated by the codex to actually pay attention.

'And you? How have you been? And if you care to be more explicit about this enchanting _signorina_…'

Ezio wanted to comment to his uncle's choice of words but he wasn't sure to what extent Shiva was ignoring their conversation.

'She is the thief I have asked you about when I returned from Florence.'

'Ah, yes! Well, by any other means I am enchanted to meet you.'

At that the woman turned and nodded.

'Have you asked around about me?'

Looking at the smirking woman, Ezio crossed his arms.

'You'll forgive my lack of trust in a thief that suddenly appears claiming to have known my father.'

'I guess people do what they have to do.'

'Anyhow, this time around I have hired her on a professional basis. She is...helping me out with some things.'

His uncle smirked and chose not to develop further the subject.

'How are things in Venezia?' With those words the man threw a short, cautious glance towards Shiva.

'That's alright. You can talk in front of her, she is of trust. What worries me is that at times she seems to know more on the matter than I do.'

As Ezio glanced at her she smiled cunningly at his last words but couldn't meet his eyes.

'I have decided to come and make sure that everything is going well now because I fear that things might soon get ugly in Venezia and I don't know when I will be able to visit again. I am trying to trace Grimaldi's plans and I can't kill him just yet because I fear that he is not the only Venetian authority involved.'

His uncle nodded.

'But about that let's talk later. We are exhausted from the long journey and I want to go and see how my mother is.'

'Of course, of course.'

With that they left the office and Ezio showed Shiva to the room she was going to use.

Once there, he opened the door and stepped back.

'I guess this is it. You should get comfortable because we're going to stay here for some days - I want to make sure things will work without too many problems after my departure. Well then… you could….consider it a holiday before our deal ends?'

'Holiday?'

'Yes, nothing to worry about, free time on your hands, no need to steal, no one to rob or run from? These kind of things.'

With her shoulder underpinned on the doorframe she looked at him with a blank expression.

'That sounds like dying out of boredom.'

He smiled sarcastically and patted her encouraging on her upper arm.

'Don't worry; I have the confidence that you'll survive.'

With that he waved and walked down the corridor and down the stairs.

'Oh and… welcome to Monteriggioni!'

At his ironic shout she rolled her eyes and hit the door closed loud enough for him to hear.

'Jerk.'

* * *

The next morning he was coming down from a short visit he had paid to his mother, settled to go to the study and throw an eye over last months' archives. But his mind kept going back to the image of his poor mother. As the day before she hadn't spoken much; she had just caressed his hair and his cheeks telling him how much he had grown. She was slowly coming back to them, but for him it was too slow. Seeing his mother like this each time was paining him to the bones.

Ezio was almost reaching the hall ground when Shiva walked out of the Armoury and was heading towards the exit. He remembered that except yesterday's dinner he hadn't seen her at all.

'Heeeey! Hold your horses.'

When she turned around he realized what was the reason of why she seemed so odd to him. She wasn't wearing the cape.

The woman arched both of her eyebrows in annoyance.

'What?'

'Where were you going?'

'Errr….out?'

When he didn't look convinced she went on. 'To have a look around the city?'

He watched her with increased attention.

'Not planning to steal anything from the people, are you?'

She rolled her eyes.

'As if I have from whom to steal in this gutter.'

'Hey!'

With that she turned around ready to leave.

'Wait.'

'What now?'

'Do you really have to go eavesdropping on the poor citizens?'

She stared at his insult.

'What do you take me for?'

'Well…'

But he couldn't keep a straight face anymore and burst into laughter.

'Has anyone told you that you make a funny face when infuriated?'

'No; no one. Apparently they all have lost their tongues before having the chance to.'

With that she was ready to step outside. The scene of the woman hastening her steps just to get away from him made him smirk. Well, he was already spending a fortune on her; another handful of money just to see her suffer more won't leave him with his pockets empty.

'If you'll stay inside and won't stray around the city on your own I'll give you the additional income over this month.'

She froze, one foot in midair. Then she spun on the only foot she had on ground.

She narrowed her golden orbs but his eyes fell on the mole as her lips twisted funnily upwards.

'Interests included.'

He laughed.

'But that means you'll stay put during the entire staying.'

'It's always a pleasure to do business with you.'

And the largest smile adorned her face as she turned back inside.

He stomped on the last steps and walked towards the Study room.

'Is money everything for you?'

'Umm… not quite.' she followed.

'Money for me is like… sex for you.'

This woman... He never expected to be distracted from his nightmares so easily that morning.

'Do they give you that much pleasure?'

She stepped next to him and looked into his eyes.

'No. They give me the chance to fool around with people.'

With that she continued inside.

His amusement suddenly dropped and he stopped.

'Hey!'

He didn't know if he was supposed to feel more insulted because she had deliberately admitted that she was swindling him or because she had accused him of playing around with women.

'So, what do we do?'

Once he reached the desk he looked up at her.

'I have no idea what you'll be doing but I have some numbers to look over.' With that he took the book, and sitting on the chair he started to leaf through the pages.

The woman sighed and suddenly started to regret her decision. All being said and done, with the man not giving her any kind of attention anymore she walked behind him to the chest. She let her hand travel along the engraved gold.

'This chest values a fortune itself.'

But apparently he heard her whispering even if he didn't bother to turn around.

'I hope you don't plan on asking for the chest also.'

'Why would I bother to ask for it when I can steal it?'

'And hide it where? I do believe we'll be travelling back to Venezia together.'

'Have you ever heard of _termites?'_

He stopped from his reading.

'Termites?'

'Yes; nobodies whom you use to move around stolen objects when it's too risky to keep them on you. Those people work under two factors: bribery and fear.'

'A very important piece of information but I rather have the chest where it is now.'

'So do I.'

With that she slowly walked away, wandering around the room.

'I don't doubt it.'

* * *

He turned the page and without lifting his face he glanced at the woman pacing in the middle of the room.

More than two hours have passed and she had been doing the same thing during the entire time, making it twice as hard to concentrate over what he was reading.

'How much longer do you think you can resist staring at the walls of this room?'

'I have patience.'

She let her weight against the plan of the city.

'Did you know that this room has four secret compartments, two of which activate with a lever, one floor hiding place upon which you are sitting with your chair, one spying eye and two secret doors? I figured one must lead into the corridor connecting this room to the rest of the edgewise chambers of the ground floor but I am not sure about the other. Maybe somewhere upstairs?'

Ezio was by now looking directly at her.

The woman smiled sweetly.

'What is under this building?'

'_Nothing _is under this building.'

For a moment he was tempted to look around, having no idea of what she was talking about, but he didn't feel like making a fool out of himself; it was his own damn house. And damn her! She was like a carriage you have lost control over and you were feeling useless, watching it roll to the base of the valley.

She arched a smart eyebrow.

'Is that a challenge?'

'_That _is not a challenge. You promised to stay put!'

'I didn't promise anything. I am just keeping my part of the deal. And not doing anything is hard but not impossible. On the other hand, one can't stop one's mind from working.'

He stared at her for the longest time.

'Do you speak that much when you're not doing anything?'

She folded her arms and grinned.

'No; I am actually doing this on porpoise, to annoy you.'

'You know, when I said 'stay put' I didn't mean stay with me all the time.'

She got up and glared his way.

'Fine, I'll go mind my business somewhere else. But you'll regret this later.'

She stormed out the room.

When he found himself alone he smiled.

'And don't touch anything!'

* * *

He wasn't sure, but he would have bet that it hadn't taken her more than half an hour to come back.

'Did you already make me regret it?'

She didn't take in consideration his mean comment and stopped in the doorway.

'Is there a chance for you to consider having a walk outside the walls of this house?'

'Not anytime soon. But if you really want to see the city you can always have a look at the lay-out.'

She sighed and he hid his smile in the book. Catching her in her own traps was until now one of the most enjoyable things life has offered to him.

Nevertheless she approached the table and with her hands pinned on the edge she intensely stared at it.

For a moment Ezio lifted his eyes only to see something that until now, if someone had told him about it, Ezio would have had laughed in their faces. She was pouting. Like a 5 years old child, she was pouting. And the small mole at the corner of her lips made him use a word he would have never thought he could use to call her - it made her look almost… adorable.

'Can't you find something to do even at the barracks?'

He immediately turned his attention to the book thankful that she hadn't looked up to catch him staring.

'No.'

From the table he continued to steal glances towards her.

'Not even the mines? We passed near theme yesterday; they looked terrible.'

'For the time being we don't have resources for those.'

She was absentmindedly poking the locations of the stalls.

'I suppose I can't convince you to go for a walk on horses either.'

He did his best to hide the laughter that was threatening to leave his lungs.

She sighed.

'I am going to die out of boredom and it's going to be completely your fault.'

'I promise my heart will be filled with remorse.'

'You won't be able to live with it.'

'Mhhmmm….'

By now he was trying to concentrate on his reading.

'Maybe I am even going to haunt you. I always tend to get on people's nerves even when I am not around.'

'I can see why.'

He gave her one quick glance then went back to his numbers.

'Please don't crawl on the lay-out.'

'I am not crawling. I am dying.'

'Under the table?'

Slowly all that he could see from where he was standing was one last arm waving in the air.

'What on earth are you doing?'

'Isn't this how people die? Reaching out one last time for salvation? I thought I should make it more dramatic.'

He chuckled amused and returned to his reading.

'You are making it look like a kid's bad acting. And I thought you were dying out of boredom, not drowning.'

'Shut up and go to your reading. Let me die already. It's hard to die if you keep asking questions.'

With that she got quiet and soon he was able to fully concentrate.

Hours later, alone and undisturbed he managed to take into consideration all the information. Claudia appeared on the doorway but froze.

'Ah, Claudia! Come here.'

The girl looked at his brother with wide eyes and slowly and with unsure steps she made her way to the desk.

'Yes Ezio?'

'Here. Can you please rewrite these pages down for me? I will be back in the office. When you're done bring them there.'

She kept looking over her shoulder as the man got on his feet.

'Ezio, ummm…is everything alright?'

Her brother eyed her confused.

'Of course. I just need them to discuss them over with uncle.'

'I was referri-' But she stopped, giving up. 'Ok'

She decided that his brother knew the best and let him go.

After quite some time of analysing and planning his next steps concerning the citadel his eyes grew tired. He had to calculate the money and cover up for the most urgent needs, more so when he had his two last incomes blocked. He left the office, ready to change the background. He'll have to talk to the architect tomorrow, but for what was left of today he made in plan to go and check some unclear event in the city. Then he remembered of someone eagerly waiting to leave the villa.

He caught sight of his sister coming down the stairs.

'Claudia, have you seen Shiva?'

The young woman stopped and stared at him confused.

'Isn't she where you left her?'

'Where I –'

Then his eyes grew in shock and realization. All this time…she couldn't possibly have…

He rushed to the study room and stopped in the doorway. There, she was, lying down at the base of the plan table, eyes closed, hands one upon the other on her stomach. He brought a hand to his mouth to stiff his upcoming laughter.

Slowly, the man approached the table and looked down at her.

'How's your death going?'

'Right now there's an annoying fly disturbing my peaceful rest.'

'Oh… and how much longer do you intend to... stay dead?'

Still eyes closed, she arched her eyebrows questioningly.

'Isn't eternal sleep supposed to last for a very long time? I guess there is a reason why they call it _eternal_.'

'Oooh. Ok. Well, in case you'll decide to join the livings, I'll be out.'

He left but continued to look over his shoulder.

She instantly opened one eye and watched him.

'How….out?'

He laughed.

'The city.'

On spot her eyes fully opened and she stared at the ceiling.

'They do say that certain things can raise the dead.'

When she passed him she didn't stop but that didn't mean that he couldn't hear her hiss a clear 'I hate you.'

* * *

They had been walking for quite some time and she was still refusing to speak to him. Not that he had asked her much but he knew that she wasn't going to react either. For him it felt a little awkward. Whilst they were walking along the streets of the city she had gone back in being the usual silent, calculated Shiva. Everything was back to the same way things always were among them but right now the simple fact that she wasn't wearing the cape was putting him in a weird position.

From time to time they had to stop as he had things to solve, letting her to wander somewhere around. He was doing his best to stay fully focused on the people he was discussing with but unable to control, he was constantly finding himself looking around, to make sure he could still see her. He was sincerely starting to believe he was paranoid. It wasn't like she would start to cause problems or rob from the poor. He had come to know her and if there was one thing that she wouldn't do, that was to steal from those who are in need. She used to say that stealing from them wasn't worth the effort, but he knew better than to listen to her egoistical made-up excuses. But then, there was something else. Each time he was to lift his eyes and not catch sight of her he would feel something similar to panic install. He couldn't believe that he was actually scared of her vanishing out of his life like that, could he? Was he really getting used to her presence? That was a stupid thought. When he had offered her the job it had been more out of curiosity. He wanted to know what was about her that fascinated Federico so much. He was never the type to concern himself over women for too long. Actually Ezio rarely knew when and where his brother was spending his time with a woman or another. But then, this light ahsed haired woman appeared. If he didn't know better he would say that Federico must have been actually fascinated by her unusual lifestyle. Shiva was clearly not the type of beautiful Madonna that would make men go crazy at her feet. Federico must have found the chase entertaining and fascinating. Past the shoulder of the merchant that was talking to him, Ezio gazed at the long wavy low ponytail turn and fall from the shoulder cascades on her back. In the cloudy day that blond ashed hair looked as if it was almost light grey, the colour of the tresses changing in intensity and taking after the atmosphere. She slowly turned around in her pace, her eyes roving with calculation and quiet curiosity over the constructions around. Or could it be that his brother was captive by all of that? By those cetrine gems in a pool of pale tones? By those expressive lips that were at times betraying more feelings than her cold eyes? He frowned involuntary. Had his brother ever had the chance to see her like he was seeing her now? In the light of day, without that dark cape and her face cupped only by the falling tresses? He turned his attention back to the man. In the end, when he had taken the decision to bring her here it had also been because of a sense of familiarity. He didn't know what past she and his brother have shared but he knew how important her presence had been for his brother during his last years; and only for that, if he could, he wished to treat her with familiarity.

When the man said his goodbye and left, Ezio looked where he had last seen Shiva only to find the same spot empty. Actually, she was nowhere in sight. He ran to the cross of roads and searching the area he was able to calm down when his eyes fell on her form standing in front of the doctor's shop.

When he got closer he saw on the counter three different vials.

'Buying anything?'

'Socking, isn't it?'

He laughed at her sarcasm. The doctor on the other side of the counter, gasped at recognizing the man.

'_Messer_ Ezio! It is good news to have you back in the city.'

'It is good to see your shop doing well, Vittorio.'

The old man bowed.

'Had I known the lady was with you… '

'Don't worry, old friend. Let me pay for those.'

'How thoughtful of you but I think I can manage.'

She was having a hard time not to show it but she wasn't exactly appreciating his sudden excess of manners.

He returned the sarcasm in the smile.

'I am paying with your money anyway.'

Shiva glared.

The old merchant looked with containment at the strange exchange of words.

'Please _Messere_. You have already done so many things for me. There is no need to pay for these. They are on the house.'

Those words were everything that Shiva needed to instantly change moods.

'How kind of you, sir!'

And with the biggest smile she left the shop without the poor merchant to even realize that the vials were gone.

Ezio shook his head. Her outbursts of bipolarity were bound to scare someone one day.

Nevertheless he sighed, smiled at the man and put the money on the counter.

'Please take it.'

He was about to go when, a little abashed the doctor whispered after him. He was a righteous man, with fear of God and things have left him diffident.

'I don't want to sound indiscreet but… is the lady really planning to poison her husband with those?'

At first Ezio was confused, having no idea of what the man was talking about but soon he started to picture what must have triggered his concern. That woman was a trouble magnet on two feet.

The merchant was led into more confusion when Ezio started to laugh full-heartedly.

'Don't worry my friend. I am going to live.'

When his laughter died he saw the man gaping at him with two enormous eyes, making him realize the misunderstanding.

'Oh, no! What I meant is that she is a friend of mine. She has no husband so – no worries, no one is going to get killed.'

Still stiffing his laughter he bid his farewell and went to catch up with Shiva.

He didn't ask her anything about the last event but as he was walking he kept fighting to keep the amused smile in control.

'I don't find anything funny.'

But soon after that deep tone she started to stiff her giggles herself.

'Funny, but you shouldn't do that to people.'

'Instead of lecturing, which is not your strongest point I believe you should hurry towards those men waiting for you in front of the bank.'

He followed the direction of her gaze to recognise four of his uncle's mercenaries. Of course she knew about them since he had told her about the stops they had to make during their walk.

Once again he left her behind and approached the men.

Shiva was clearly not satisfied by the clauses of their 'contract' because walking around the city was still boring and she still felt as if she was in prison. She sighed and heard a soft sound coming her way. She turned around in time to see a wooden loop encircling her and stopping at her legs. No long after, a boy, around 6 years of age came running and giggling after his toy. In front of her, he stopped and looked up.

She simply stared, no expression at all on her face, down into the eyes of the poorly dressed boy.

When Ezio turned from the mercenaries, it wasn't late enough to catch the little boy's face grimacing, soon to break down into a powerful crying.

The man froze. What kind of mess had she started this time?

As fast as he could he got to the two and crouched next to him.

'What did you do now?'

The woman, still blank face and not impresses took her time to answer.

'Nothing.'

Ezio tried to gently pat the boy's messy hair to calm him down or get his attention.

From afar his friends were watching the scene and if the boy wasn't going to cease his crying anytime soon more people were bound to notice and stop to stare.

'What happened?'

He was doing his best to keep his calm not to scare the boy even more.

'She-e., she..' but his hiccups were forbidding him to speak clearly.

'Seriously, now! What did you do to him?'

Ezio looked up only to see her face finally getting animated by emotions. And they weren't the most joyful ones.

'Are you going to believe this kid or me?'

Before he could answer the child stopped from crying but tears were still rolling down his face.

'Your wife is ugly!'

At the sudden shout Ezio snapped his head at the boy and if at first he was in shock then he let out a powerful laugh.

His laughter went on until a smarting hit at the back of his head made him choke.

'You saucy rascal! Who would take a cheap shot like him as a man?'

She scorned and brought one fist in the air.

The kid's eyes grew wide and he stopped whatever sound he was making. In an instant he disappeared and didn't stop from running until he reached the safety of one of the house's corner from where he continued to watch the scene with awe.

'Cheap shot?' He pressed one hand over the place where he had been hit. 'And shouldn't you get angry because of the insult?'

She lowered her hand and looked him straight in the eyes.

'I am.'

'You are doing it wrong!' Then, still crouched he continued to mutter to himself. 'I wasn't even the one insulting you. Pff, you'd make a terrible mother.'

'Shut it or I'll hit you again!'

With that she started to walk away but not without a last glance at the boy half hidden behind the wall. The kid started to giggle whilst, before fully turning, she shared with him a hidden smile.

Thankfully, he though, their walk back to the villa was peaceful and nothing of importance happened during dinner. Whilst Ezio was eating he conceded that even if he was to look after her, Shiva would cause some sort of trouble sooner or later. Even now, at the table she was curious and sensitive at every movement and sound.

They all got up from the table and sincerely, he didn't like the way his sister smiled and waved Shiva a good night.

He wanted to go and have a night walk when he caught glance of her walking up the stairs. Something was very different in her way of acting since they came to Monteriggioni but he had absolutely no idea of what it was or what could have caused it.

'Hey, fox, what got your tail down?'

He joked but the fact that she didn't immediately turn to show him her teeth worried him even more.

When she looked at him she wasn't pleased though.

'What?'

'Still growling….that's a good sign.' He paused. 'Going to bed?'

'Yes.'

'I am going around tow-'

'Good for you.'

With that she yawned and started her walk again.

Ezio decided to drop it and continue his way.

'Hey…can I ask you something?'

She turned one last time once she had reached the upper level.

'Do you really consider me a cheap shoot?'

Shiva stared at him then rolled her eyes.

'See you tomorrow.'

The man smirked and went outside. Maybe a tied up fox wasn't a funny fox to have around.

* * *

End of chapter 13


	14. All the same

A.N.: The title of this chapter is indeed "All the same" after the song written by Sick Puppies. As the story progresses some of you might end up liking Shiva even more whilst some will probably judge her and come close to hating her. But people are never perfect, and there are no humans without flaws and some times, if you truly want to be with somebody you come to accept them as they are. I just hope that you will enjoy reading the story as much as I enjoy writing it. ;))

* * *

_**Capitolo Quattordici**_

* * *

The next day Ezio had in plan to check the security points they were going to lay out outside the eastern wall. When he came back he was already exhausted, sweating and covered in dust from the physical effort he and the hired mercenaries put into raising the structures of wood and rock. Before preparing for a bath he wanted to go and check on his mother; since yesterday she had refused to eat anything. Jumping the stairs two at a time he fastened his steps towards her room only to stop in his tracks. At the end of the long corridor, next to the room, was Shiva, back on the wall, arms behind her and looking down in deep thoughts. Quietly he approached her.

'What are you doing here?'

He didn't know why but the tone in his voice betrayed anger.

She looked up, not very surprised by his presence. Glancing into his eyes, it was as if she was debating with herself if to tell him or not.

'I was just curious.'

Her voice was low and almost warm but something in him burned up.

'Curious? Curious over what?'

He knew that his tone had been harsh and mean but nevertheless she continued with the same composure.

'I wanted to know what your mother looked like.'

'Is that all?'

Suddenly her eyes returned to the same coldness he was used with.

'Yes.'

For a moment he didn't know what more to say and his body relaxed.

'Then, I'd like you not to bother her if it's unnecessary.'

She kept staring into his eyes and her lack of reaction was making him want to look away.

With just that she pushed herself from the wall and walked away.

Kneading his forehead he took a moment to try and understand why he had reacted so violently. What had gotten into him? Only then he realized what he had felt at seeing her in the corridor. He had been afraid. He had actually been afraid of her meeting his mother. What would have he said? That she's a thief? That she knew father? That she might have been Federico's lover?

'Ezio, what happened?'

Looking up he saw a worried Claudia in the room's doorway.

'Nothing, I just came back.' He went inside. 'How's mother?'

The woman was sitting on the edge of the bed and next to her a tray with food, barely touched.

'Did Shiva cause you any trouble? She doesn't do it on purpose but her curiosity tends to put others in awkward positions.'

'What are you talking about? We didn't even know she was here until you two started to talk in the corridor.'

The man frowned at his sister.

'Ezio, she didn't come here.'

Instinctively he looked at the door. At times he found it so hard to keep up with the way this woman acted.

He smiled and bent down to kiss his mother on the forehead.

'Please, eat something mother.'

Before leaving the room he patted his sister on the shoulder and winked at her.

* * *

If the morning had started with a powerful sun, now the sky was beginning to be filled with heavy clouds while the wind was blowing warmly.

Shiva was looking outside the window, not really focusing on something in particular. She wished to leave this place and Ezio was starting to notice.

She heard quiet, gentle steps stopping behind her, in the doorway. Looking over her shoulder she hid her surprise at seeing the elegant brunette woman, standing there and eyeing her. She frowned; Ezio was not around and he had been more than clear that he didn't wish for her to approach his mother.

'Good afternoon.'

The woman nodded and kept looking at her with her warm hazel eyes. Finally she slowly approached the same window and gazed outside.

'It's a nice weather.' Her voice was soft and lacking power. 'I would very much like to take a walk outside. Would you mind accompanying me? I haven't done much lately and my legs might betray me at some point.'

At saying that, the well-dressed woman turned to Shiva and smiled weakly.

'Sure.'

She let the woman walk ahead to the curtilage and when she stepped outside the door she turned and helplessly looked behind, cursing Ezio. He wasn't anywhere to see and she knew she was horrible when it came to facing mothers. And this elegant skinny woman was making her feel gawky.

They started their slow walk in perfect silence and it went so for long. At times Shiva would fall far behind, glancing at the woman just to make sure she was alright. It was strange and unexpected, but this walk, this atmosphere and the company had actually managed to calm her down.

At times the woman would stop, they'd walk for a period side by side then Shiva would step ahead lost in her own thoughts.

A bevy of craws clouded the sky and Shiva stopped, staring at them for as longs as their croak echoed, long after they had become just a black stain above the tops of the lower mountains.

When she looked back she saw the woman staring at the distant horizon as well and then at her feet. She was in front of the stairs of the lower part of the stone walls. Shiva went to her and when the woman was about to step she took her hand and supported her up the small set.

The brown haired woman nodded her gratitude and continued her calm pace. Shiva looked down at the base of the wall and chasing her deep thoughts away, continued closely to the woman.

At one point she felt the woman in front of her stop and sigh. In a second she was on alert and by her side, the only sight of worry barely visible in her eyes.

The woman smiled.

'I guess exhaustion comes unexpectedly when you have forgotten how to face fresh air for long time. It is but an unimportant sensation of dizziness.'

Shiva took her hand in hers and placed the other one on the woman's back.

'Would you like to sit down?'

When she received a fade acceptance, she guided the woman to a space between two stone pylons and helped her down, staying one knee on the ground in front of her, still holding her hand.

The Auditore _donna _looked down at her and smiled warmly.

'Dressed like a man, you hold yourself like a young one too. You are as attentive as a boy head over heels for a _signorina.'_

Huffing relieved the kneeled woman allowed herself a joke.

'I actually call that a man trying to get laid.'

The woman laughed. It was_ a _faint laugh but still a hearted one.

'And your vocabulary is not as delicate as you look.' Her amused smile slowly let melancholy show in the silence that continued. 'My husband always appreciated a clever mind.'

By now the woman was absentmindedly staring at their hands. Gently she brought her other hand and covered Shiva's with both of them. If she would have looked at the girl, she was to see her trying to avert her eyes. But maybe she didn't need to.

The woman brought one hand to Shiva's face making her look up, and hid some hair behind the ear.

Looking down in her eyes she smiled softly.

'Federico was drunk with those eyes; and I can see why now.'

The quartz like eyes grew wide but she asked no question.

The other's smile was still there but sadder.

'It must be really hard for you to be here. There is sadness in your voice….and I can see him in your eyes. He rarely spoke about you but his eyes were telling me everything.'

Shiva let her eyes down again, hiding her face from the heart-rending gaze.

The hand underneath hers clenched.

'I am sorry.'

The woman looked at Shiva's face to meet her eyes but they were hidden under the lashes.

'I wish - … I should have met you properly.'

She stopped but the seated woman waited patiently.

'There was a time when I -… Meeting you now, I am almost ashamed. It feels like it is too late.'

The wind blew some of her tresses and the crinkle of the woman's ochre dress.

'I am always late.'

Her whispers were continued just by the sound of the wind.

The older woman looked up.

'It should rain soon. I would like to feel the water drops on my skin but my children insist that staying outside is imprudent.'

The silence installed yet again but it was a mutual enjoyed silence.

'Ezio is a good boy.'

That brought the woman's gaze back up. 'But he also torments himself with nightmares and burdens that I can't lift from his shoulders.' She was talking slowly and pausing after every sentence to admire the clouded sky, over the top of the house. 'He follows in his father's footsteps. I am proud of him even if I wish I could stop him and keep him here, safe, with me. But I can't. My heart doesn't allow me.'

Shiva looked at the beautiful long hair of the woman. Between those rich brown locks white hair was the only thing to give away her age.

'When Giovanni was away I had faith in him and I knew that I had to trust him; that he will come back each time. But once I lost him…I can't have the same power and believe in promises as I did before. So all I can do is pray; pray that Ezio will turn back safe.'

Whilst the look on the woman's face was lost and distant, her voice was full of emotions.

'My husband… My husband hoped that if it were to come to this you and Federico would forgive him.' She knew that those golden eyes were now intensely looking at her. 'I didn't understand him that night, months before those horrible things had the chance to happen - what was he talking about or why he had said that to me. Only after I have heard Mario some years ago that Ezio had been asking him of a thief that my husband used to know, only then I was able to understand him. Giovanni feared that he might be betrayed and he wished to keep Ezio away from all of it as his last chance. Unfortunately his most dark fears have become reality too soon.'

Her palms were sweaty and she was gently and repeatedly squeezing Shiva's hand.

'I… I don't have the power to ask from you the same thing that Giovanni wanted to. Because I know that promises are hard to keep and... also because it looks like his wish had partially come true.'

The woman looked into Shiva's eyes and smiled. Her lips were slowly trembling.

'Seeing you here with Ezio I knew it happened so. My husband wanted you to meet Ezio and if he was to die…' She continued to smile 'to keep an eye over him.'

That's how Ezio found the two women when he stepped out of the house. With his hair still wet from the bath he approached them panicked and unsure about what was happening. Getting closer in an instant he fastened his steps at the sight of his mother's trembling hands.

He was about to voice his emotions when suddenly Shiva got up and passed him like a shot, her head down.

'It's getting cold. Take your mother inside.'

He narrowed his eyes in anger and confusion. What had she done? He wanted to run after her, grab her by the shoulder and demand answers but he wouldn't have dared to let his mother alone.

When he looked back at the woman she smiled the same blank smile and lifted his hand for him to help her up.

'I feel like eating a little.'

* * *

The rain didn't last for long and it had been just a drizzle. It was evening and Ezio wanted to chase away the numbness that the chilly atmosphere of the rainy day had installed in his bones. He was about to go to the Armory to pick a weapon when he saw Shiva storming inside the house, her hair and clothes covered in a glimmeringly veil of raindrops and a bowl in her hands. She stopped and looked at him with the eyes of a cat caught stealing something.

He narrowed his eyes.

'What…are you up to?'

She looked down at the bowl and then at him.

'Nothing.'

Staring at her with the most calculating eyes he finally decided to let go.

'Whatever.' Turning back to enter the room he stopped himself with the hand in the doorway.

'Wait.'

'Mmm?'

'I was about to go to the training grounds. Want to have a round?'

He watched her eyes lighten with life. Then, realizing her reaction she decided to play smart again.

'I thought you'd never ask.'

She was about to go to him when she remembered the bowl in her hands.

'Oh. Wait for me there.'

Saying that, she turned around and jumped up the stairs, focusing on the bowl.

Ezio laughed and shouted after her.

'What is in the bowl anyway?'

'Water.'

With that she went on and he stepped inside the room shaking his head amused.

* * *

Minutes later, leaning on the wooden fence he watched her coming down the stairs and stopping in front of him.

'Anything in mind?'

'What are you good at?'

She arched an amused eyebrow.

'Besides running away from your opponent.'

'Ha. Ha. How about a hand to hand combat?'

He whistled. 'Now that's an unfair match. Are you sure?'

'Oh yes, very unfair.'

She smirked and left him, hopping over the fence.

'Don't regret after.'

The woman, already in the middle of the ground rolled her eyes.

'Less talking and more action. Aren't these your words?'

He was now facing her.

'Well then. Come for me.'

In the mid-dark of the evening they continued to stare one at another for the longest time. As her eyes were becoming more hateful and acid, his eyes widening in understanding.

'No! No.' He laughed 'What I meant was that since you are a woman and I am the man – '

He suddenly stepped back and realized he needed to rephrase this as soon as possible.

'I should be a gentleman and let you attack first!' He let his head down and ran one hand through his hair. The next thing he felt was the sharp pain in his left foot under the weight of a well-placed boot. He bent over in pain and instantly regretted doing so, because his head was thrown backwards with a smarting elbow in his jaw.

Cupping his chin he silently cursed as he heard her circling him.

'Why do you always have to think with your dick?'

Great: now she was angry again.

'I told you it was a mistake. You are the one misinterpreting things.'

And he was smart to sidestep as an arrow-like punch went past his ear. She spun around but he blocked it this time.

'Nice try!'

And contrarily to what he was expecting she grinned into his face.

'You were the one to say ladies first.'

He wanted to get her off her feet but she pushed back and circled to his left.

'You intended at least.'

Their game of dodging and striking went on as theirs breaths begun to come out more heavily. She was giving him a hard time, moving all too fast, disappearing and reappearing in and out of his hitting range and exhausting him easily. On the other hand he wasn't giving her any opening. knowing very well that if she was to win this she needed to reach a weak point; using force against him was meaningless.

She blocked a hit and dodged the next one.

'So, what have you been talking to my mother?'

He sidestepped away from her low kick and went for an attack.

'Nothing.'

Both of them stepped backwards and carefully circled one another. Suddenly she launched ahead.

'She wanted to go for a walk and she felt dizzy at some point.'

He punched her grip away and went for her stomach. Ezio knew that more than this he wasn't going to receive as an answer.

'We're leaving in the morning.'

'Hm.

And after her silent answer their conversation stopped, leaving their bodies to interact. He let go to a rapid succession of punches only to have her dodge them and block them. He needed to block her; to corner her or this game of exhaustion of hers was going to end when he'll drop to the ground. She wasn't attacking; just randomly and always stopping when reaching a vital point. He understood that this was her training. She didn't need to learn how to attack; all she needed was to learn how to resist to the attacker. And now she was learning him. He stepped forward and aimed for her neck. He knew she was to jump backwards and when she engaged in her action he spun once again towards her, passing by her left and behind her, crushing her arms in her chest with his.

Caught off guard she struggled and he had to blow amused her hair from his face. To stop her from struggling he lifted her from the ground. With her legs now in the air she started to throw them frenetically to outbalance him.

Once she felt the ground under her feet she calmed down. Out of reflex and curiosity he let his body relax and by the time he realized his mistake she had pinned her feet to the ground and furiously bent over, taking him over her shoulders and like a clog, down. To his advantage he managed to summersault over her and stop himself in a crouching position, with his hands behind for support.

Ezio was about to make a smart remark when his arms were swept by a quick leg and his back hit the ground.

'You know you are lucky because of the wet ground? And to think that I took a bath.'

'That's not luck. That's premeditation.'

Ezio picked himself up.

'I bet it was your ardent desire to see me all coved in dirt….and mud.'

His eyes narrowed as he heard a set of steps running his way. Before he had the time to react he felt the air leaving his lungs under a suffocating hit in his back, and once bent, she flipped over him, pushing him forcefully with her hands.

He managed to sustain his body but his back was burning from the hurting pressure.

'What the hell was that?'

Something had changed; drastically. He couldn't see her face as she was not facing him but he could see it in the way she was holding herself. He just didn't know what.

'You were thinking that all this time I was playing; not taking it seriously.'

He frowned. Even her tone had changed – back to the cold, offensive voice.

'So let's start taking this seriously.'

As soon as the words left her mouth she rapidly spun and ran at him. Before the impact she let herself down and cut one hand to the back of his left knee. He was prepared for the hit and instead of trying to block it he took in the pain and once down grabbed her arm and did the same thing she had done with him not long ago.

When touching the ground she rolled and in an instant jumped at him again. This time her pace was even faster and her pirouettes were more furious. This time he had no chance to read her expression, just to block her predatory attempts. Never again had he seen her fighting against someone with such speed and determination.

'Stop.'

But when she showed no sign of doing so he stopped from fooling around. He stopped her punch but this time his grip was like a steel claw.

'I said stop!'

She looked up and her eyes were filled with hatred and anger. In the last moment he caught her other hand and pulled forcefully, throwing her away, past him.

Because of the force she had to stop herself with both hands on the fence to absorb from the impact at the stomach level.

'If you have something to tell me just do it. You've been acting strangely since yesterday evening.'

But he watched her putting a leg on the fence and lowering her hand to the boot.

The second he saw the glimmer of the knife blade she swirled at him, the blade almost cutting through his shirt. Through the tempest of attacks he had to think of a way to take the blade away from her and not hurting her too hard in the process. Their violent dance continued and Ezio's only chance was to trap and immobilise her. He searched for her eyes, confused and frustrated and then he caught a glimpse of her face that made his heart small. He saw the blade coming and he did the only thing that came into his mind.

In a matter of seconds she froze her attacks.

Her left wrist was in his hand and she kept staring down, refusing to look up to his face or at the blade in his closed palm.

The sharp blade was now blocked in his fist and strings of red were leaking down to the handle.

He felt her body relax. His injured hand fell down her hand and to her wrist.

'Let go.'

She wasn't holding the knife with a good grip anymore but she still refused to abide his words. Slowly and gentle he twisted her wrist enough to let the knife fall. It was as if the sound of metal hitting the ground awoke her because she started to struggle out of his grip.

He didn't let go.

'Stop - Stop it! That's enough! If I am to have my head cut off my neck I'd appreciate knowing why.'

The woman in his grip stopped seeking freedom, still not looking up. But then he felt her hands trembling and looking at her arms they were furiously shaking. If she was going to yell and have another angry explosion –

'Why didn't you do anything?'

He tensed, trying to catch her whispers.

'You act so mighty and help every miserable soul now' Her words even if whispered were spiting venom. 'Why couldn't you do it then…' with that she turned back to the silent, toneless voice.

'Why couldn't you be like this back then? Why couldn't you do anything for them back then!'

With that she spoke no more and Ezio felt wretchedness burking him. Already out of control, his grip tightened and jerked her violently.

'Do you think I needed you to point that in my face? Were you worried that my life was not miserable and that my nightmares not woeful enough? If I'll ever feel happy I'll let you know so you can come and destroy it.'

Hissing that, he pushed her out of his grip. It seemed to him that an eternity had passed until she decided to move. Then, she picked up her knife and staring at it she let out a whispered 'Fool' before turning and leaving him alone.

* * *

At dinner she didn't come down from her room. He knew she was there because she had refused Claudia's invitation. It was already dark and late when he got up from the table, leaving the rest in an awkward silence.

He found himself walking up in the attic and thinking about getting out on the roof. Had he been too rough with her? Maybe it was his own fault for letting her getting under his skin. In the end, she had every reason to be angry with him. His brother was dead and he was alive. He, himself, had reasons to be angry with his own person; he guessed that she had her own hard time facing a loss of a loved one – that was the only explanation to her unusual reaction.

He pushed the trap open and hopped outside. When he was about to get up he heard movement from the training ground. Stepping to the edge his eyes lingered on the slim dark form of the woman inside the training circle, handling an épée, probably from his Armory.

He watched her training with one hand behind and her back straight. Ezio tried to remember her face as he had seen it the last time. Had he imaginer everything? He wondered how her face looked like when she had walked away from him. He wondered if she had the same face in the afternoon when she had passed by him. He contemplated as her movements were becoming hastier, rushed and mistakes kept appearing. He watched her hop an entire row of steps and heard the épée violently whipping through the air. She stomped; her arm cut the air upwards and froze at its highest stand; and from there her body relaxed and her arm fell by her side.

He frowned. From the heights of the roof he saw the arm back up and the sward sent flying through the air, hitting the fence.

The woman fell in a crouched position and let her head in her knees, covered by her arms.

For a moment of daze he stepped back then he ran to the opened trap and down the stairs. He needed to make sure that the she was alright.

When he reached the outside stairs he was left breathless. He surveyed the ground. She was nowhere to see.

Slowly, he stepped down the stairs to the training ground, catching his breath. He went to the fence and picked the sword. When his lungs were once again filled with air and his body was fully relaxed he looked around. He had no idea of where she was. After all she was an expert on slipping away from his sight. With those thoughts in mind he made his way back inside the house.

We went to the Armory to drop the épée and before going to his room his feet were taking him towards the office. Starting tomorrow he'll have to go back in the race. The small amount of time he spent at the villa was quiet and he wouldn't mind that one day, after things will settle down, to come back and grow old here. Reaching the doorway he stopped and looked at the door behind the bookshelfs; it was wide open. The man smiled. It looked like she was on her toes. Maybe he worried too much. In silence he stepped down towards the Sanctuary.

There he found her. With her back at him she was staring at the enormous statue and the armour behind the iron bars.

He leaned on the wall. Maybe this once he should let her get away with it. It wasn't like him lecturing or threatening her out of her raiding would prevent this woman from doing things her way. And maybe forbidding her to act her way and stay put was exactly what had got her out of her system. He was about to leave when she spoke.

'I wonder how this Altair looked like. I believe he is you ancestor.'

He stopped and spun. Of course she had sensed him: she was a thief.

Ezio walked to the woman and stopped by her side, watching the statue.

'Well, I imagine he was good looking. After all we share the same blood.'

He glanced at her to see if his words provoked any reaction. But her face was hard to read and her eyes were on the statue. After a moment of silence she nodded towards the armour.

'Then I fear that whatever it is that is running in your blood it's getting lesser with each generation.'

He was about to smirk at the fact that he had managed to get her out of that awkward state when he realized the implications of her words.

'Did you just… insinuate something about my looks?'

She let her head tilt to the right so that she could lock eyes with him.

'I was talking about the brain.'

He stared at her and then at the dark armour searching for answers.

'At least he knew that white and fancy red don't actually make you the most unnoticeable presence around.'

Shiva stepped away from him and paced around the Sanctuary, studying the statues.

Still eyeing the black hood, Ezio narrowed his eyes in meditation then turned towards her.

'That was still an insult.'

'So this is what you need the seals for. Impressive…' Slowly she made her way back in front of the statue and getting closer she put both of her hands on the bars.

'Each time I come across the Assassins they never cease to amaze me.'

With that she had fallen into the same distant silence in which he had found her, both of them lost in their own thoughts.

'Do you want to go for a drink?'

He came back to reality at the sound of her low voice.

'What?'

'A drink.' The woman looked over her shoulder. 'Do you want to come?'

'Where to?'

He watched her getting away from the bars and heading towards the exit.

'I believe this city has an inn or two. What son of a banker would you be not knowing that these kind of things bring real sums to the town?'

'You didn't get my point. You drink?'

Continuing her walk she sighed.

'Don't make me regret throwing the invitation.'

He shook his head and followed.

'It's just… to tell you the truth you are the first woman to invite me to... a tavern…to 'go for a drink.''

She turned while grabbing her cape from the stone handrail, unnoticed to him until then.

'I know – really romantic.' And she made a face to point out a fake enthusiasm.

Throwing the cape over her shoulders she went on. 'I am also the first woman you've paid for mental abilities. How about that?'

'Just so you know you are the first women I ever paid for something.'

'Oh, do shut up.'

The darkness of the staircase swallowed the two figures.

Once again two voices echoed in the large hall of the Sanctuary.

'Are you serious about the drink? Not long ago I was under the impression that you weren't exactly appreciating my presence.'

'I did ask you, didn't I? Stop acting like a _signorina_ at her fist _serata_.'

* * *

The two of them walked down the shady streets of the city. He analysed how well Shiva knew the road to the inn. Her hood was back on and he realized that it was probably better this way. A woman in a tavern would have attracted too much attention.

'I see you know where to go.'

'I took the city tour with you, remember? And you don't have to know where to find the place. When the rest of the streets are quiet you can hear from a long distance where to find a tavern.'

'Impressive.' Of course she was. Ezio knew better than to question her sense of observation and precision even when she looked distracted.

It didn't take them long to reach the noisy construction. By each sides of the entrance there were happy dizzy men enjoying the presence and from time to time the support of the eye-catching courtesans.

At that sight and hearing the thundering laughers from inside Ezio started to have second thoughts.

'Are you really sure you want –'

Pushing the door open the thief slipped inside.

'Craven.'

'That's not what I meant.'

Once inside Ezio looked around only to have one of the tables explode in acclamations and whistles. They were some of his uncle's men.

He waved at their animated table and when he turned back the cape wasn't next to him anymore. Before he had the chance to swear he saw her taking a seat at the wooden bar.

He made his way through the mass of vociferous people and took the tall chair next to her.

'I don't believe this is a place for a woman.'

He eyed a nearby table and its obtrusive occupants. She stared at him.

'I mean the only women here are, well…'

They both looked over their shoulders at the flashing courtesans dancing on various laps and in one corner of the inn the only one woman yelling words at her drunken husband and hitting him out of the place.

After a moment of silence both of them turned to the bar and laughed.

'If you were worrying about me – don't bother; I've been in places far worse. If you were worrying about yourself, again - don't: I am not going to pull either of the two options on you no matter how much I'll drink.'

By the time she ended her statement the owner had threw in front of them two clay mugs and a large tankard. Ezio eyed the steamy vessel of mulled wine then without intending it he started to laugh.

'You drink mulled wine?'

'What? Everyone does on rainy cold days. And sorry to disappoint you but Monteriggioni's weather is not helping either.'

She filled both of their mugs.

He shook his head and covered his face with his hand in amusement. He had never seen such a delicate looking woman drink alongside men. She was a real mislead for whoever wanted to read her by her covers.

'I would have bet my hand on the fact that you would hate places like these.'

She smiled in her mug.

'Hmm, as a thief you learn to mix in _places like these._ And that means that you would have lost your hand. Right or left? Do I get to choose?'

The man snorted. 'If I were to play this game with you I'd have to carry you back to the villa in less than ten minutes.'

'Is that a challenge?'

She brought her hand up and lowered the hood. Even if he wasn't content with it he went on.

'Do you take everyone's words as challenges?'

'You're evading the subject.'

'You can't stand that much alcohol.'

With the hood down he could see her intense cetrine eyes staring into his own.

'Until the tankard is empty.'

He looked at her amused and incredulously.

'Fine. We'll have it your way.' Nevertheless he was a little bit curious about how much alcohol she could handle.

She looked away pensively. Since his turn had passed she had the role of coming up with a bet.

'I bet you never thought twice before picking a fight back in Florence.'

'Hey, what kind of presumption is that?'

She arched her eyebrows mockingly and waited for his answer.

With an indignant snigger he brought the mug to his mouth to drink his mouthful of wine as a sign of her victory.

'I was a boy, ok? You have no idea how you are seen among the boys your age if you back off.'

She smiled and nodded in ironic understanding.

'Horrible.'

'Laugh while you still can, foxy.'

He eyed her closely.

'I bet you never wore dresses.'

She laughed.

He looked ahead. 'Oh wait...you did.'

She watched him amused. 'You still have to drink. And how do you know that I _wore_ dresses.'

'Leonardo told me…sort of.' He took another drink. 'Oh, but I have a good one – I bet you never wore dressed since childhood.'

She huffed her amusement. 'One at a time. And you might reconsider your next bet. I do wear dresses occasionally; when the situation requires it.'

He hit the mug to the counter and arched an ironic eyebrow.

'When situation requires it? So what - you can act like a real woman when _situation requires it_?'

She rolled her eyes at his jokes.

'I bet _you _never played in mud or slop when you were a child.'

He looked at her with big horrified eyes.

'Why? Did you?'

And at the sight of her big smile and excited look he grimaced.

'What kind of monster were you as a kid? And I thought little girls were supposed to stay in house and play with dolls.'

Again he drank his defeat whilst she nodded comically. 'Yeah… so I head as well.'

He analysed her from the corner of his eyes and almost laughed at his thought.

'I bet you would be able to even rob someone of their clothes.'

At those words she laughed for the first time full heartedly and brought the mug to her lips.

'It even happened once. I was being chased by some not so friendly individuals in an inn. To get rid of them I took the clothes of one of the travelers who was at that time taking a bath and got out through the main door. As simple as that.'

'Poor man.'

As an answer her smile got wider.

'Hmmm…' She focused on the shivering light of one of the nearby candles.

'I bet there had always been a competition between you and your brother on who had a quicker hand at women.'

At her bet he stopped and tried to search back in the past.

'Umm...nooo…No, I don't think so. Unlike me, Federico was pretty quiet about his conquest.'

She narrowed her eyes disappointed and took one large swig. 'Hmm, I was almost sure that pretty boys had that in the blood.'

He smirked at her comment.

'Even our tastes differed. When it came to women… Federico was picky.' He rolled his eyes. 'Actually, to tell you the truth he was a veritable twit when it came to women. He used to treat them with attention only if he founded them worthy. Unlike me, who values every woman after her own beauty.'

Suddenly she threw a hand in the air.

'Stop there. I got it – heard that story enough times.'

His smirk reappeared.

'You are the only exception.'

'Excuse me?'

'It's not my fault at times I keep forgetting you are a woman. With the chest all tied up under the shirt and the way you act – not to mention your current image towering over that mug of wine.'

She narrowed her eyes at him but had a hard time to keep her smile away from her face.

'Asshole.'

Their little game went on, the mugs had been refilled for enough times to lose count and Ezio realized than sooner than expected the tankard had emptied. He filled their mugs one last time.

He let go of a boisterous laughter.

'I bet you never passed the morning in a woman's bed after sleeping with her.'

She pinned her elbow on the counter and her chin on her palm, smirking knowingly at him.

The warmth of the wine had him animated and he smiled sincerely, stealing glances from time to time to the mole imprisoned between two slender long fingers.

'No, I never did.' He swallowed another mouth of wine. 'But also for more than half of the times I had to take my leave before sunrise if I wanted to reach home without giving _Firenze _another subject to talk about for another two or three days.'

Without moving she gripped his eyes with hers.

'And what is your excuse for the other half of the times?'

For a second his smile disappeared and he felt lost into those glimmering eyes. True…what was his excuse?

He inhaled and looked at the busy hands of the owner's wife cleaning mugs on the other side of the counter.

'It… didn't work.'

At his not so inventive answer she smiled mysteriously.

'Oh… right.'

He looked back at her with amusement.

'I bet you have never slept with more than one man; if that ever happened.'

Her previous beam turned into a shadowed enigmatic smile and for the first time Ezio found himself wanting with ardency to know everything about the woman in front of her.

Then she chortled and pushed her mug towards him.

'You may want to use mine since yours is empty.'

He threw a quick glance at the wine and then focused his attention on her.

'You are not pulling my leg, are you? How many?'

The woman continued to laugh.

'What kind of question is that?'

Ezio lifted the cup. He was really curious. At some point he wanted to ask if his brother had been one of them but he realized it wouldn't have been the most joyful question.

'Strange. I would have taken you for the 'hard to get type''

She continued to smile and look at him with the eyes of a feline, her hand now supporting the weight of her temple and her fingers tangled in her wavy hair.

'And what makes you believe otherwise? Contrary to what you believe, I am a woman. Maybe I am the romantic type who gives only after she receives something.'

He looked at her disbelievingly but still with a grin on his face.

After quite some time he couldn't resist.

'Are you?'

The woman burst out laughing again.

'Maybe I am, maybe I am not. It will remain a mystery.'

The brown eyed man looked absentmindedly at the neglected cracked ceiling. He snickered softly considering that at least in what concerned women his brother had been a lucky bastard. To have someone trustworthy near you; someone to go to. Oh well… they did have different standards.

'I bet on the bottom up.'

That brought his attention back on her.

'I bet….' She fell into deep thinking and with a devilish winning grin she watched him in the eyes.

'I bet that you never felt attracted to a person of same sex.'

With his hand on the mug he sceptically held her gaze. But that face was sincere and curious, reminding him of the soft cold rain drops. He narrowed his eyes and smirked gauchely. He would have acted even more tactless if it weren't for that bright smile of hers.

'You mean hypothetically?'

She grimaced comically and craned her head forward, interested in his reaction. 'What do you mean hypothetically?'

'I mean,' he leaned closer suddenly fearing that someone might hear their current conversation. 'If I liked a person of the same sex… knowing that he is …a person of same sex.'

She stared at him puzzled then chuckled in his face. 'I sincerely don't know what you mean but….I guess. You can't say you feel attracted to a man without having the knowledge that he is one.' She looked to her right. 'Did that make sense?'

He glanced at her and then at the wine mug. Then, with a twisted smile showing both uneasiness and smugness he pushed the said mug on the counter until it made contact with her hand.

With the corner of his eyes he watched her eyes grow in stupor and soon her lips turn into a disbelieving large smile.

'You're lying!'

He grinned. Never had he thought that one day he would feel amused by that absurd misunderstanding but now, in this atmosphere, looking at her ingenuous face, he found it a little bit laughable as well.

'Drink.'

She took the mug and slowly emptied the liquid in one go but she didn't take her eyes off him for one second.

He couldn't restrain not to laugh. She was currently eyeing him like he had grown another head.

The mug was set down.

'Who?'

'Who what?'

'Who was that special guy to send you off your tracks?'

He looked into her eyes and roared another row of laughs.

Shaking his head he looked down.

'Arrogant wit.'

'I am sorry?'

She didn't get his mutters which was good. With his hand supporting his jaw he looked back at her. Should he tell, her she would go mad again taking it as another insult. He gazed into her eyes and smiled contemplatively, knowing that she was eagerly waiting for an answer. The way she laughed tonight was refreshing. It indeed reminded him of summer rain falling warm and cooling where it fell. It was the first time he had seen her laughing from all her heart, no hidden meaning, no ironic pun. His brother had been without a doubt a lucky bastard. His eyes lingered longer on her pale lips and the daring mole from under their left corner. He went closer and caught her eyes before grinning in her face.

'He was indeed an unusual individual, I give him that. But I am going to keep this secret.'

With that he strengthened in the chair and laugher at her anticlimactic reaction.

That's when the men he had saluted at entering shouted joyously at him to come and join.

He looked at the woman and after searching one of his pouched he plunked some money on the table nodding at the owner.

'Come on. We should go back.'

'I thought I was paying ... since it was my invitation.'

'Sure, with my money. I fail to see the difference.'

She got up and smiled at him over her shoulder.

'And here I thought you were going to act like a gentleman.'

He chuckled.

'When you'll act like a lady, yes.'

He guided her with a hand on her lower back towards the elated table.

There he shook hands with the men and exchanged some words.

Three of them, still capable to stay on their feet without having the world spinning around them got up and bowed jovially at Shiva.

'Our fine lady! Where are our manners?'

She chortled, nodded at the men and watched Ezio with a clever smile.

'See, there are men who, unlike you, know how to act in front of a lady.'

'When you see one please let me know.'

She rolled her eyes but her humoured smile remained.

'This is a guest at our villa.'

'Oh but we know. _Messer_ Mario told us about her presence at Monteriggioni. And yesterday the kids in town have been enthusiastically gibbering about her all day.'

He watched her laugh with pleasure at the words thinking it had something to do with that little scene from their walk.

'_Prego!_(Please)_ Messer_ Ezio, we are today celebrating our _amico_'s birthday' and to point out one of them slapped the said man on the back and cupped his shoulders. 'Have a drink with us.'

Before Ezio could respond a mug was filled with wine and carried along the table in front of him.

He laughed but shook his head.

'_Mi dispiace,(_I am sorry) but I have to refuse. I've enough for one night.' He had started to realize that the moment he had with much difficulties oppressed his out of the blue wish to fling the remaining space between his and Shiva's lips whilst at the bar.

'Ah, and here we thought that a drink with you, messere, would have convinced him that at least one bottoms up won't get him in troubles with his wife at home.'

'Oh, come on, _dearest, _what kind of hefty example are you giving to these men!'

'Shiva, I would appreciate if you would keep your misleading comments to yourself this time.'

She grinned.

'Fine. Then I'll drink for you.' She turned with intense eyes at the man at cause. 'If you don't mind drinking alongside a woman, that is.'

The table exploded into a loud guffaw and clapped in anticipation.

'I guess if the lady is challenging me it would be improper to refuse, no?'

'Pff…lady; I highly doubt it.' he muttered to himself but watched incredulously how she grinned charmingly and actually went for the handle.

When she brought the mug up he put one hand over its mouth and stopped her.

'Don't you think this is a little bit too much? And trying to act more like a lady won't do any harm.'

The woman looked at him smilingly.

'Ezio. You are starting to sound more and more like Leonardo… which is not entirely a good thing.'

A little bit discouraged about the idea he took his hand away only to be jolted by the slim arm that encircled itself around his upper arm. He had to crane his neck backwards away from the closure of her face as she watched him pryingly through her eyelashes and spoke into his chin.

'And someone has to wash your shame in front of these people.'

With that she looked back at the men and saluted them with the mug up in the air.

"'May you have a good life and a lovable wife by your side!'

'_Alla salute!' _(Cheers!)

And with that both Shiva and the man pushed the mugs to their mouth. Ezio watched resigned how the woman didn't stop from gulping down until the wine was over and the mug hit the table not long after the one from the man's grip.

The table let out another round of whistles claps.

'I have never seen a woman drinking like man.'

Ezio rolled his eyes not really finding anything to be proud of in that.

'Well, now that the show is over we must go our way.'

He waved her with one hand and pushed from behind with the other, wishing them a good time for the rest of the night.

Once outside the chill of the late hour of the night hit his skin. He would have bet it was even colder that he actually felt, given the mulled wine still running in his body.

'Heh, you are a freak show.'

She snorted at his joke and took a deep breath of fresh air.

'And I would have never expected you be so uptight.'

'I am sorry for not knowing how much you can handle your alcohol. Where did you learn to drink like that?'

She just laughed and continued her walk.

Their road back to the villa rolled in silence with Shiva walking ahead from time to time.

She was steps ahead of him when Ezio decided to stop glaring at her back and ask her what had been bugging him from the beginning.

'Did something happen in Monteriggioni? Ever since you came here you acted out of character.'

She stopped and spun, looking at him well disposed.

'Out of character?'

'You haven't caused troubles, you didn't treat me like you always do – like a toddler, a bambino, you didn't questioned my words and you didn't disappear like you always do.'

He stopped in front of her on the lower steps leading to the villa.

'Am I that terrible?'

But from her tone and face he knew she was mocking him.

'Well, if you wanted me to make a fool out you in front of your family you should have said that from the beginning. You have no idea how hard abstinence is.'

At her witty remarks and humoured expression his face darkened.

'Can you be serious for a second? Tonight you had me really worried.'

Suddenly her amusement vanished and was replaced by an unreadable expression.

'Worried? Funny; no one asked you to.'

She treaded down one step, her face shadowed by an awful aura.

'You wanted me to be serious. What are you going to do now?'

He looked up in her eyes and recognised the same tone she had used during her violent outburst. How could she swift moods so easily and which were her real feelings?

'Do you have something to ask or it was just your pleasure to piss me off?'

Saying that she leaned forward in intimidation but this time he caught her shoulders roughly to keep her away. She wasn't expecting that reaction and it was shown by her face. He, on the other hand, averted his eyes and turned his face to one side. He cursed the wine for his tipsy sensation and wished he could yell at her to stop doing that because the only effect it had on him in that right moment was of arousal. This woman was damn stubborn and careless around men. She was overconfident and joking about it was one thing but no matter how you would look at her she was still a woman. Did she really not understand the barrier between a man and a woman? – a man, no matter if interested or not, would always react to a woman's body, and he seriously didn't deserve this punishment.

'You should take better care of your wound.' At her calm voice he turned his head to see her eyeing his poorly dressed palm. When he was about to respond she spoke again, a hint of amusement back into her voice.

'I use the same blade for poison.'

She wanted to straighten but his grip tightened. He wasn't amused.

'Look, maybe it's unknown to you but I can't stay serious when my head is spinning.'

It occurred to him that she was feeling the effect of the wine too. Unfortunately, it didn't make her personality more pleasant.

'So you are fine?'

She let her face drain of any emotion and looked at him. Then, as if she was about to give up she sighed.

'Can't you just please let go?' She closed her eyes waiting for him to do as asked. 'I am drunk. I didn't intend to get drunk, or at least not in someone's' presence. I don't know if you realize it but I am dizzy and emotionally unstable; and I really don't feel like taking it out on you.' Like that she let some time pass before continuing on a lower voice. 'You're an imbecile if you worry about me.'

He frowned.

'Why?'

'Why!' She snapped her eye open giving him access to a mountain of emotions. 'The only reason why I am here is because of business! The only thing that links us is on professional ground. Once you'll give me the money it's the end of it. That is your problem: you trust people too much! You put your trust in them and you expect them to remain loyal without anything in exchange. Stop trusting them so carelessly and they'll stop fooling with you. I bet you never thought for a second that you can make mistakes; you never doubt that what you do is wrong. You have this…this stupid arrogance that makes you believe that everything you do is right. Have you ever felt a _hint _of regret or doubt? Have you ever looked behind and feared that what you have or haven't done was wrong? How can you live like that; so freely and so carelessly?'

By the time her voice faded his hands had unconsciously fallen down to her forearms and he simply stood there, not knowing how to react; with which of his own storm of emotions to respond first?

She looked at her wrists guilty.

'Let go. This is the last time I am asking you nicely: let go.'

Ezio pulled her wrists forcefully and growled. If she thought she will leave without having a piece of his mind she was terribly wrong.

'Listen here -'

But by the time he was searching for his words from his powerful tug she almost lost balance and took the opportunity to grip with her teeth the skin at the base of his neck and bite angrily.

Because of the shock and the immediate pain he let go and Shiva took the chance to run up the stairs and inside the villa.

With his mouth opened he brought one hand to the smarting wound. He narrowed his eyes viciously he let out a shouted "you devil!" before sprinting after her.

The marble hall and stairs carried the echo of a double row of running steps into the cold rooms of the house to be followed by the furious tramples stiffed only by the massive wooden stairs of the attic. Ezio reached the corner of the corridor and was about to launch himself at the door when the cape vanished in the room and the door slammed shut. With his hands pinned on the door and his head soon to follow he choked trying to catch his breath, chest rising at a fast speed. When the black dots started to disappear from his eyes he brought one fist in the air ready to hit the door but controlled himself in the last moment. He was slowly convincing himself to step away and leave since he had always found the act of trying to put some sense into her not very different from fighting against walls. With one forearm on the doorframe he pushed up when the lock was heard and the door cracked open to let show the form of the woman. She stepped out until he was towering over her and shyly, she chewed on her lower lip before speaking.

If he had been waiting for an excuse he was in for a second shock because he thought his ears were failing him.

'I'm hungry.'

He looked at her in disbelief.

'You are one delusional woman if you think that would put an end to what you've started.'

He looked down at her and more than the tempestuous shift of moods he was impressed by her acting skills. He couldn't believe she was pulling the weak damsel act on him.

'But I haven't eaten in the evening. And the wine is doing funny things to my head and stomach.'

…..and get away with it.

Angrily he grabbed the doorknob and slammed it, blocking her inside the room.

Ten minutes later he found himself in front of the same room with a piece of bread and an apple. He knocked at the door but when he heard no movement he let himself in. Since it was a small room in the attic the ceiling was following the line of the roof, with a window on the narrowed wall. There she was, seated on the wooden floor to fit the height, looking outside. In the light that the window was letting in, he realized that indeed she wasn't in her best form.

'Here. There wasn't much left and this is all that I could bring you without causing any more damages to your stomach. It's your own fault for not coming down to dinner.'

He put down the napkin and unfolded it to reveal the content.

Bored and after a long time in which she simply stared down she grabbed the bread.

'And have you constantly glaring at me while eating? No, thank you.'

He took a seat not far from her.

'What makes you believe I would have done that?'

The woman dragged her eyes on him and then at the gash on his left hand.

She took a piece from the bread and put it in her mouth.

'I would have.'

From that moment on the room was swallowed by silence. While she was peacefully eating and looking outside the window, with her head on the wall, he let his eyes roam around the room. It looked untouched. The only thing that would make you think it was inhabited was the leather traveler bag she had come with, thrown at the legs of the bed. It was as if she was ready to leave at any moment without a single trace behind. He turned his eyes to her. In that silence she had finished the bread and was now playing the apple in her hands; her gloveless hands. Thinking back at it she wasn't wearing them at the training ground; it was as if she had never intended to fight in first place. She hadn't been wearing them at the inn either. His eyes looked up at her face. He knew she had lied to him; she hadn't been hungry but she wanted him away, to give her time to calm down. And now she was back into that miserable state he kept seeing her for the past few days. He had no idea of what was affecting her like that but he was content that at least he was learning how to read her.

He watched the apple touch the lips once and later twice and listened to the cracking sound of the fruit in her mouth. Her words kept playing into his mind, taking him away from her problems and overwhelm him with his.

'Maybe you were right back then. I never think twice before doing something. Killing people would be a lot harder if you were to have second thoughts. And maybe I am hot tempered enough not to admit my mistakes…'

'Don't.'

He looked up at her curtly word.

'Don't look back, don't regret, don't have second thoughts… You didn't do any of these and you still have a great family to look after. If you believe you can do anything, do it and don't for a second hesitate about it.'

Her face was shadowed in the white light of the moon. Her arms tensed around her knees and she let her head fall a little on the wall to hide her expression under the ashen tresses and shoulder.

'I was… just…' her voice was terrible low and languishing but fluent. 'a little bit...envious.'

He couldn't see her. She had once again protected herself from his eyes like she had done in the curtilage and on the training ground. He had no idea what to do and to be honest he was even afraid to do something. He was afraid that she might explode again, that she would try to protect herself or run away again; he had no idea of how she would react and that thought scared him. He had never asked her openly about her life; about who she was or where she came from; but he wasn't regretting it because doing that would have only pushed her further away.

Sitting there in a corner she didn't look scared or weak. She just looked lost. So he did the only thing that he felt the need to do, betting all on it. From there on it depended only on the choice she would make: accept it or push him away.

Slowly, without getting up he stretched towards her and gently pushed some of her locks away. He let his hand carefully tangle in her hair and taking her lack of reaction as a good sign he gently pulled her towards him, dragging his body also to meet midway. Her head fell on his chest and with his arm around her shoulders it didn't took long for him to feel her relax in his semi embrace. He let his back on the wall to support both of them and leaned his head backwards.

She was breathing peacefully in his chest and he respected her wish not to be seen. He didn't need to look down at her face to know that her expression was now the same as the one she hadn't let him see when she had called him a fool or the same watery eyes she had when she had left him alone with his mother.

That night, sleep came easily and Ezio was slowly drifting from reality. She hadn't been making a single move from the moment he had led her into his chest. Anyone would have thought she was long asleep but he knew better. He knew she was awake but now resting calmly against him. He didn't mind it. Thinking about it, for once he didn't mind to be the first to fall asleep next to someone. As his eyelids fell heavily he listened to the quiet room, the rhythm of another beating heart and the song of the cicadas in the grass outside. This… he'd like to turn back to all of this one day…

The horses neighed as the two travelers were leaving the walls of Monteriggioni behind.

About the last day, they had silently agreed not to speak a word.

Ezio patted the horse on his head and let his mind go back to the goodbye he had shared with his mother in her room. His eyes had fallen on the cupboard under the window where he saw the same bowl Shiva had carried inside during the rain. Curious, at his question about what had been in that bowl his mother had kissed him goodbye on both his cheeks and whispered a soft 'rain water'.

* * *

The horseman looked at his companion but dared not to ask the same question again.

Then he remembered something and cleared his throat.

'I forgot to ask you the first day we came here; when I asked you about Monteriggioni you said I hadn't let you finish. What was it that you wanted to say?'

The hood looked towards him and her shoulders rose once with the soft chuckle.

'That it looks like a safe place; especially for someone who wants to stay unknown. Disappearing from the prying eyes into a quiet place like this from time to time doesn't sound like such a bad idea.'

The white hood hid a smirk.

'It's settled then.'

"What is settled?"

Confused, the cape turned her head towards him.

'You can come and stay here whenever you want for how long you want. Consider it your 'den', or whatever it is that foxes have.'

She waited and listened to the sound of the horses' hoofs then she laughed bitterly.

'Fool.'

When he puzzled and asked her whatever had he done now she hit the reins and sent the horse into gallop.

* * *

End of 14th chapter.


	15. A lesson about betrayal

_**Capitolo Quindici**_

* * *

_1485, Venetia_

He was in a hurry. He had to run and meet Antonio, ask for his advice, for his help. Finally Ezio had managed to grasp the idea of the conspiracy that Grimaldi was part of. And the Spaniard_**, **_the man he had seen more than once – Ezio knew that he was his final target.

He run up the stairs of the _Palazzo della Seta _and immediately his eyes fell on Rosa's figure in the inner court.

Noticing him, the woman stopped.

'Salute, bello mio! Come stai? You're back to see me?'

Ezio couldn't suppress his smile and leaned over to kiss her on both checks, blocking her intentions. He was disappointed himself that he had to miss this chance but he couldn't afford losing time.

'_Desolato_, mia cara. But I am here to see Antonion.'

The short haired woman was visibly disappointed but nevertheless read on his face the importance of the matters.

With that she stepped back and raised her voice.

'Antonio! Ezio's here!'

The said man appeared at the balcony in an instant, looked down and then hastened his steps towards the two.

'Is everything alright?'

Soon after he stopped near them, Ugo made his way to the three, with the band of nearby thieves to take part at the conversation.

'Carlo Grimaldi and with Barbarigo are in league with the one they call The Spaniard. They're going to murder the doge and replace him with one of their own. They'll have all of Venetia – her entire fleet – in their grasp.'

Antonio shook his head violently, disturbed by the news.

'And they call me a criminal.'

'Then, I can count on your help?'

'Don't doubt it. You have me on your side, brother. And the support of all of my men.'

At his words Ugo nodded reassuring.

'_Grazie, amici_.'

Antonio furrowed.

'But I must warn you, Ezio. It is not going to be easy. _Palazzo Ducale_ is the most heavily guarded building in Venezia.'

'Nothing is impenetrable.'

His words triggered a laugh from the woman.

'Do you have a plan?'

Unfortunately…that is what Ezio didn't have and was in hopes to find here.

'Not exactly.'

Antonio cupped his chin pensively.

'It would be best if we could find a way to get in as stealthy as possible. Not only that guards will make everything a lot harder for us, but once you are spotted as an enemy of the high authorities your life in Venezia can become quite dangerous.'

The word stealth rolled in Ezio's mind and he gazed at the cold tiles in search for answers and possibilities. A thought crossed his mind. He hadn't seen her for days – since they had returned from Monteriggioni, but that didn't mean that she wasn't in Venetia anymore.

'I might… know someone who could be of help.'

That got Antonio interested.

'Someone from inside?'

'No. But I think it's as good as that. She might be able to come up with a safe way to get in.'

A dreadful feeling took over Antonio.

'_She_?'

'A thief. She goes by the name of Shiva.'

The next second Antonio's face darkened and he let out a short 'Forget about it.'

In fact it was all that he had the chance to say before Rosa's expression twisted in disgust and she started to let out a row of insults.

'_Che diavolo dici?_ ( What the hell are you talking about!) _Quella strega_!( That witch!) _Sei un pazzo_(You are out of your mind) if you trust her! People like her will sell your arms and legs if they have the chance to.'

'Rosa! That's enough!'

It was only Antonio's thundering voice and Ugo's hand on her shoulder that made her stop from yelling. Still, she was mad; she was angry and among the thieves there was a fervent murmur of foul words.

'Enough? There will never be enough words for what she has done.'

Ezio was confused and alarmed. He would have never expected such a reaction. He had no idea of what Rosa was talking about. What had Shiva done to earn the scorn of the thieves and the obvious disquiet of Antonio?

'I said that is enough.'

Antonio's sudden abuse of power made the woman fret in anger.

'You have always been like this. How can you defend that _puttana _after what she has done to us; to your men – to you!'

The man exhaled almost tiredly. In his opinion matters like this were at that moment irrelevant and unimportant.

It was already clear that Antonio's thieves and Shiva shared a past; but what exactly it was about – that Ezio wished to know.

'How do you know her? Was she one of you?'

Much to his surprise it was Ugo who answered while keeping a comforting hand over Rosa's shoulder.

'Pfff… that woman must have been born all alone and she will probably die the same way.'

Ezio frowned.

'What did she do?'

'I'll tell you what: She sold us; she used us; she cheated us. And because of her we had to suffer the loss of many men and friends!'

Involuntarily Ezio's hands turned to fists and his eyes narrowed. That couldn't be true. He had spent enough time with her to know so. There must have been some sort of misunderstanding. But was he right? In the end he knew nothing about her past. Did he have anything to guarantee for her?

'Rosa. This is not the time. We have much more urgent matters at hand. Come Ezio, let's go take a look at the Palazzo. We have to come up with a plan.'

Ezio would have stood there, his foot not ready to cooperate until he would have had his answers. But Antonio had already walked away and was waving him to follow.

'I want to know what that was about.'

Antonio didn't stop from his tracks.

'Shiva… it is not of surprise that you have come to know her.'

'How do you know her?'

'She has …a history in Venetia. Nobles and all the people with heavy secrets to keep know of the Black Cape but few know her by the name. I have met her when she was of young age. Shiva is different from typical thieves. Whilst thieves usually belong to a guild, she is working alone. And unless it isn't something of personal interest she works only under a contract. I can understand the anger and the hate that my men carry for her; I myself am not particularly thrilled of her presence. But as a thief I have nothing to accuse her of. She has played by the rules.'

'What happened?'

'Years ago we found ourselves with...common interests. Emilio Barbarigo had stoked a large amount of values in the Arsenal drydocks and I had decided with my men to get our hands on it. But it was a hard mission as the area was heavily guarded. That's when Shiva came into picture. She was after something in particular that Emilio was hiding there so we came to an agreement. She would manage to get us in from the inside and in exchange we would create a diversion with our plan for her to get what she wanted. That was all – nothing less and nothing more. But in the process something went wrong. Some of my men got captured and tortured to death. Those men happened to be the ones sent with Shiva. I couldn't do anything about it, but she was there – and instead of aiding them or even let us know of their situation, after she had got her hands on what she had been after she fled away; just like that. My men call her a betrayer. I can't. Thieves have rules and at the end of it she had played by them. Coldheartedly and inhumanely, but still fairly. She wasn't part of the guild so she had no obligation to us. She had kept her part of the deal - nothing more. Regardless, I can't ask of my men to forget or forgive what she has done, or stop them from disliking her.'

Ezio kept quiet all along and Antonio noticed.

'Nevertheless, what is done is done. I don't know in what kind of relation you are with her but you should be warned not to expect from her more that she had signed for. She is an extraordinary ally and she would never betray your expectation but she won't do anything exceeding them either.'

By the time Antonio finished what he had to say they had reached Palazzo Ducale. Ezio continued to remain silent. Once in front of the imposing building, instead of saying anything on the matter, Ezio started to look around.

'We have to find a way in.'

Antonio realized that the news he had received had angered the man profoundly. It was noticeable in his tone and on his constant frowning face. Even so, he had chosen not to talk about it.

After noticing that the front door was leading to failure both men started to circle the building for other options. Ezio's anger was weighed by the frustration of not being able to find a weak point to the well-guarded building. Guards and archers were everywhere. Finally Antonio spotted a clear path up to the top of the Basilica. It was the best they could get. Once there, they reached the fence in time to catch the doge followed closely by Grimaldi himself.

Antonio frowned.

'We're running out of time. There's no way through this fence and there are guards everywhere. _Diavolo_!'

'I know!' Ezio was hissing through his teeth. What annoyed him was that his anger had little to do with the situation. Involuntarily his mind was returning to the thief. He was angry with her. Antonio had told him his version, but to him rules and thieves meant nothing. He though back at Shiva and asked himself if he had ever suspected her of betrayal. He asked himself where could she be; was she still in Venice? Unwillingly he was finding himself in a desperate and paranoid need to know what 'other business' she had in Venice while working with him. At that time he couldn't care less, but now, after putting back together piece by piece, her sudden disappearances, her strange behaviour at times; even when they were together, occasionally her body would tense and she would change directions, would act unpredictable and would evade his questions. He simply wished that all these things were his simple thoughts of paranoia triggered by what Antonio had told him. Nevertheless, he had a strange feeling. If he were to meet her again he would probably demand answers… but something was unnerving him. So he clenched his fist and tried to concentrate on Antonio's words.

'It's impossible! There's no way in or out for men – only birds!' and with an exasperated gesture he threw his arm up in the air.

At that Ezio felt like woken up from a dream.

'Yes, birds!'

While he stepped back the man couldn't understand his words.

'Where are you going now?'

'To see my friend, Leonardo.'

He ran to the artist as fast as he could. Fortunately, he wasn't away with business.

Almost bursting in he found the man still concentrated on his papers.

'Does it work?'

He man turned around only a little surprised.

'What? What are you asking?'

'Does – it – work? Leonardo, can it really fly?'

He pointed towards the weird invention on the wall that, truthfully, was bringing back old memories.

Leonardo looked at the invention.

'I don't know. It's only a prototype. I don't even think it is ready yet.'

'Have you tried it?'

'What are you saying?' The artist asked half amused. 'To test it, you'd have to leap off a tower. Who would be mad enough to try a thing like that?'

In spite of his current situation Ezio smirked.

'I think you just found your madman, Leonardo.'

Half an hour later, which to Ezio seemed like hours in row, he had helped the artist to bring the invention to a high tower.

Leonardo was giving him all the instructions while Ezio assured his grip on the wooden skeleton.

He inhaled slowly and prepared for the flight. One moment the thought of asking the artist about Shiva crossed his mind. But then, an old event cleared his head. She had once told him that Leonardo was her friend, and that he was an exception. Maybe she was telling the truth; and as she had told him, Leonardo was wrong in expecting too much from her when it came to other people. He furrowed and shook his head; he pushed against the ground and leaped off. At first chaotic, he soon learned the machine and a sense of freedom washed over him. But it didn't last long. Slowly but surely he was losing altitude and approaching the roofs. For his security he had no other choice than to take a turn along one canal and land on water.

He cursed. It was not enough.

Later on they were back at the artist's atelier. Whilst he was overly thrilled by the experiment, Ezio was not so.

'I can't believe it. It worked. It really worked. Ezio, you flew! You flew!'

Leonardo was circling the machine like an extremely happy child but the assassin couldn't share his joy.

'_Si._ But not very far.'

Saddened by the fact that his friend couldn't appreciate his good humour Leonardo turned to the desk.

'Alright, let me go over my plans here. Maybe I can find some way to extend the duration of the flight.'

While impatiently pacing around the room Ezio saw the main entrance open and Antionio passing through.

'Ah you've made it. Have you found anything?'

By the look on the man's face there weren't good news.

'My men found out that they want to use poison. I have no idea of how much time we have left.'

He nodded. He really didn't need this.

'Antonio, this is Leonardo; the master inventor who… built this…this…' And throwing an unappreciative look at the invention occupying the floor he continued on a whisper that, with all his courtesy he couldn't suppress. '_pezzo di merda!'_(piece of shit).

At that, always sensible when it came to his inventions, Leonardo eyes him disapprovingly.

'Hey, it's not the machine's fault! It's mine…If Shiva were here she would have appreciated my work.'

At his words Antonio's eyes went from the artist to the visibly affected assassin at cause of the subject. But fortunately Leonardo hadn't noticed and he went on with his idea.

'I've checked and rechecked the blueprints. It's impossible.' Slowly he was devoured by the same feelings as his friends. Angry, he grabbed the plans and crumpled them in his hands. 'I don't know how to extend the flight! Ah, _che idea del cazzo! _(What a bloody crazy idea!)' He threw the papers in the fireplace and watched them burn.

Out of the sudden his eyes glimmered and it wasn't just because of the reflections of the flames. He watched the pieces of burnt paper lift up under the power of the hot air.

He jumped.

'Of course! This is brilliant!'

The other two men watched him a little confused and unsure what to understand from the sudden outburst and mood shift.

He approached the table and started to write down some notes.

'Heat rises. It needs fire! Heated air under its wings will lift the machine.'

Ezio shook his head, losing patience.

'Leonardo, what good is one fire going to do?'

'Not one fire, Ezio. A dozen! - built all across the city, enough to carry you from here all the way to the Palazzo Ducale.'

Antonio approached the map on which Leonardo was currently marking various points.

'Ah. I get it. And I am sure my men could do that. I'll give them the order to move in behind you and hold the locations.'

Ezio stared at the map. This was going to be the best solution he would get. He'll have to take it.

'Fine. Let's not lose time anymore.'

By sunset Ezio had cleared all the locations and made sure all the thieves were on their positions. He was standing alongside Leonardo and Antonio on the same building from where he had used the machine the first time.

They were looking over the fires burning all the way to the Palazzo.

'You did it. It's beautiful.'

'_Si_. Now let's hope that your idea works because we are nearly out of time.'

The artist turned to Ezio.

'Remember what I told you about the fire. You have to pass above them in order to gain altitude and make it across the city.'

The assassin was taking his position under the wings.

'It's now or never _amico mio!'_

With that Ezio nodded to his friends and running along the roof he took off.

During the entire flight he remained tense. The guards didn't fail at spotting him so he did his best to avoid their arrows. It was a long distance and it was almost as if the Palazzo was taking its time to appear.

Half the way he had to take a dangerous approach to the ground, but the fire on the nearby ship saved him. He cursed at the damages that the machine was taking as some of the arrows were hitting their target. He was slowly getting close and he struggled against the wind to keep the machine up in the air for as much as he could. Finally the walls of the Palazzo were catching form and he turned the machine up in the air with all the force. Under the brusque maneuver the wings started to treble violently and, soon after he heard the wood snap and he lost control of it. But he had made it. Before the machine had the time to crash he let go and landed on the length of one of the walls, rolling over for the impact. The broken wings flew across the wall and conveniently hit the guards, taking them down.

Back on his feet he let out a deep breath. If the situation wasnt like this he would have actually enjoyed the flight.

He ran to the edge. The inner court was webbed with guards. He narrowed his eyes, and bringing his blades out, he leaped to the next level, taking down the two guards on the balcony. From there he had a clear view of the doge and Grimaldi, in the covered balcony. Swinging across the edges he made his way on the walls, constantly checking the guards downstairs. He gathered momentum and in full swing he launched himself on the ivied balcony. From there he leaped inside.

The doge, taken by surprise by the intruder jumped on his feet.

For a moment a knot got stuck in Ezio's throat at the sight of the cup in the doge's hand. It was over. Nevertheless, his voice came out powerfully.

'Don't drink that!'

A dark, silent chuckle was heard and slowly Grimaldi got on his feet, pushing down the king on the chess table.

'Heh! You are too late. The doge is dead.'

The man's eyes grew in horror.

'Carlo…'

'Apologies, _Signore_. You should have listened when you had the chance.'

The man barely had the chance to finish his sentence when a cold click was heard and the painting on the wall near the exit parted and disappeared inside the wall, revealing an entrance; a tall dark cape appeared from the darkness behind.

It was a cape that Ezio knew. A cape that he watched with dread as it stepped outside and remained still, watching the scene from under the hood.

Grimaldi smirked at its sight and flew past it outside.

'Damn it, Shiva! Stop him!'

But the cape, as a perfect statue, remained still, letting the man run away.

Something inside Ezio growled with anger and he felt like watching through a mirror of his own dreadful expectations.

His jaw clenched and like a madman he threw himself in the pursuit of the murdered, and with a bestial satisfaction, strange to him until that moment, he pushed the woman out of the way.

He ran with such power that the man had no chance to reach the bottom of the stairs when he launched himself, plunking the blade deep into his throat.

Only then he realized how hard he was breathing.

He retracted the blade. What on earth had taken over him? He heard movement at the other end of the stairs and looking up his eyes registered a dying doge, words coughed in blood. Between the leaking blood coming out his mouth and dripping down the chin on his chest he managed to yell exasperated and cacophonous.

'You killed me! YOU killed meeee!' And with a trebling hand, convulsing its way up he pointed towards him before falling on his knees and lifelessly on the ground, revealing the figure like a black shadow, standing tall behind him, her cape and gloveless hands covered in blood.

Ezio's eyes narrowed. What was happening felt surreal to him. In the back of his head he heard the guards approach and yell. It was time for him to regain his reason and flee away from the place. With a last glance he looked at the cape that made no movement to come to his aid, surrounded by guards. He spun and hit one of the guards, pushing his blade in another one's neck.

He run up the wall, gripped one of the motifs and as fast as he could he started to make his way up.

Without looking back, he brought himself to the roof, got rid of the archer and like an eagle he ran to the end of the road, letting himself fall into a leap of faith.

As his back hit the hay and his entire body got swallowed by the tickling wave he thought to himself how cynic the word 'faith' sounded to him at the moment.

* * *

He had managed to stay out of the guards' eyesight for hours now. The entire Venezia was burning with news of the doge's murder and the wanted assassin. He knew that he needed to find himself a safe place to hide and he needed to do so fast, before the sun would rise and make his moving around the city a lot harder.

He knew of a place where he could ask for help. And he was already halfway to Leonardo.

It must have been around five in the morning when he had finally managed to knock at the artist's door.

There was a long moment of silence, followed soon after by the sound of running steps.

The lock clicked open, and at first the door open slightly, revealing a cautious Leonardo peaking from the other side.

'Ezio! _Dio mio_!(My God!). You're safe.' Even if it was a whisper, the voice still held relief.

Then, he opened the door to let him pass.

Once inside Ezio looked at the fire in the fireplace still burning at that hour in the morning.

He turned to his friend and froze.

His hands and clothes were covered in blood.

'What happened?'

The artist took a moment to look him in the eyes, then as if awoken he shook his head.

'Oh, nothing happened.' He waved it away but he was looking tired and his hands were almost shaking. 'I was working on a dead body in the next room.'

Ezio frowned. He wondered for a second if the artist was telling the truth.

'Are you sure?'

'I am sorry that you had to find me like this. In order to clear my head of the recent events I buried myself in work and forgot of the time. I must look terrible.'

Ezio still wasn't sure of what to believe but Leonardo was his friend and ally. He had proved that on many occasions.

'I have failed. The doge is dead, and as you have probably heard I am now the most wanted man in Venezia.'

Leonardo averted his eyes but asked no further.

'I would gladly offer you a place to hide but… there are high chances that they will come to inspect my atelier sooner or later…giving my research work for the authorities.'

'Don't worry, _amico_.'

'Do you have a place to stay?'

For a moment he stood quiet. Leonardo was right. He couldn't risk remaining here.

'Ezio, you must find a place to hide and keep a low profile. You must avoid being seen around the city – at least until this madness ceases down.' The artist seemed to be struggling between ideas.'"You can't even try to leave the city. They are probably guarding every dock and searching every ship that leaves.'

'I know. I will find something.'

With that he nodded at the artist and made his way to the door.

He slipped outside and putting the hood back on he saluted the artist standing in the doorframe, in the dim light of the sunrise looking as white as a ghost, in permanent fever as if he was desperately wanting to continue what he had been doing before his arrival.

'Take care, Ezio!'

'Will do so, _grazzie.'_

With that the door was closed and he was facing the streets of the city. He sighed and brought one of his hands to his belt. While hanging it there his fingers accidentally caressed one of the smallest pouches. His heart jumped at the realization. There was one place he knew of; and he had the key.

By the time he had reached the building _Venezia_ was slowly awakening. He didn't like the idea of going through the main door but he couldn't pick windows either.

Slowly and as quiet as he could he got inside the condominium and walked up the stairs to the room where he knew that the key he had would fit.

Inside, the corridors were dark. He found himself standing still in front of the door. He started to wonder if that had been a good idea. Would he found her there? He had no idea of how he would react if he were to meet her. A flash of how he had lost his mind at the palazzo because of her made him shiver. Last time he had lost control over his own body had been after he had killed Vieri; the same anger, the same feelings had darkened his thoughts. Was he ready to meet her again?

But he was already turning the key in the lock.

He pushed the door open but made no step inside.

The room was covered in darkness and at first sight it looked empty.

Then, from the next room, through the glass doors, stepped a slim silhouette.

Ezio felt like relieving a memory when the small woman jumped and let the sheets fall, letting out a short yelp.

He remembered her from years ago. And after some moments of shock she managed to distinguish and recognise his figure as well.

'_Meserre!'_

Ezio remained quiet.

At his lack of reaction she let out a relieved sigh and then smiled.

'I would appreciate if our encounters would be less surprising.'

'_Mi dispiace.' _(I am sorry.)

His voice was whispered and deep.

She furrowed and bent down to pick up what she had lost.

'You scared me. I had no idea you would come back.'

'Is…the woman staying here...'

At that she looked up a little bit confused.

'_La Signorina_? But she has left the apartment for months now.'

He frowned.

'Months?'

She looked at him, her mind actually far away in concentration.

'Yes. I can't be very specific about the dates but I remember her telling to my little Francesca that she was preparing to a trip by horse to someone's house in Tuscany. My daughter always used to come up here with me when I was working to trouble Miss with questions. But fortunately she never seemed to mind and amused that little imp each time.'

The rest of the sentences fell to a deaf ear. _Tuscany…_ had she meant Monteriggioni? Had she planned to leave this place ever since then?

'She told me that she wasn't going to come back and left the money telling me to keep the rest. But I still can't take them. With that sum of money she could have paid the rent for another half an year.'

Ezio lowered his face, searching the floor for nothing in particular. Monteriggioni… she was involved in this even since he had brought her to his home. Heaven knows for how long. He tried to remember the last time she had looked into his eyes. All that he could come up with was that night at the villa; that was all. Since then, during their return to _Venezia _she had worn her cape. And once back she had completely vanished.

The woman waited for him to say something but she received no reaction; just her instincts reading his state of distress.

'Do you wish to stay here?'

'What?'

His head snapped back at her.

The woman smiled warmly.

'Do you wish to stay here? The apartment is already paid for and it still has no resident. The owner doesn't know about the money left and I can go and tell him when he wakes up that someone new has come to lodge it. I will make sure that you won't be disturbed – discretion is one of the reasons why the prices in his condominium are so high.'

Ezio continued to eye the woman.

'Please, come inside.'

At her warm words he took some steps inside the apartment then, as she made her way to the door, he stopped her by the hand.

'I have just changed the sheets-'

'Are you sure about this?'

Ezio knew the woman had understood what he had meant by it. Sooner or later she would find out that he was, as the guards had announced, a wanted murdered. He wanted to know if there were chances to end up with heavily armed guards at his door.

'You don't have to worry. I know they are after you. Even before the sunrise guards started to web the city with posters of you.'

He let go of her hand and she approached the door.

'Then why are you doing this?'

The woman looked at the cloths in her arms.

'_Signorina _has been kind to me and my family. Helping a friend of hers is the least I can do.'

With that she bowed and pulled the door closed after her, leaving Ezio staring at the massive, elegantly shaped piece of wood in front of him.

_Kind? _He now wondered if that kindness was her coin for keeping their mouths shut. He made his way to the bed and mechanically he let his hood down.

'_Friend_' the woman had said. If only she knew.

He was tired. Both mentally and physically, and didn't know which one was exhausting him more. With lethargic moves he fully undressed, let the layers of clothes crawl to the floor alongside his weapons and dragged his body across the bed, tumbling in the end. He closed his eyes and after a long time since he could remember he let his hair free from the ponytail. The coldness of the sheets gave him the impression that his body was burning and he received like a blessing the cooling sensation of the silk across his warm skin.

His chest was rising and falling at a calm pace.

It was such an irony for him to be here.

How many times had she slept in this bed?

Would she have done this to Federico? If it would have been his bother instead of him would have been betrayal still that easy for her?

Or instead, unlike them, sleeping alone in the same bed, had it been his brother, those nights would have merged, never giving the chance to these sheets to feel so cold.

He felt a sudden urge to hate her both for this feeling of betrayal she had pushed into him and for the fact that he couldn't stop the image of what she was in his rational mind: his brother's lover.

He thought those thoughts would keep sleep from coming but he was slowly drifting away with the ghosts he had created in that room.

* * *

End of chapter 15

**a.n**.So this is the first point where the story changes directions. I hope you had fun reading until now, and also that starting the next chapter, when most of the intrigue will be exposed, the story will be able to captivate you even more. Reviews and feedback are more than welcomed and also extremely helpful- not to mention that they will make my heart grow warmer during these cold times ;)). Thanks and prepare for the winter holidays, darlings!


	16. and a chance to grasp the truth

_**Capitolo Sedici**_

* * *

Marco Barbarigo had been appointed Doge of Venezia. Ezio hated the feeling of uselessness but he couldn't risk creating havoc in the city. Occasionally he would go and visit Leonardo after acquiring codex pages. He had counted them. With the last one he had found in Venezia he was missing just one more. At least in the meantime he didn't stay hidden like a coward and managed to solve some other problems. He needed to wait for a chance to strike but four months had passed and not a single word or activity from the Templars.

He was growing tired of being careful all the time and having to avoid walking around the city during the day.

He was on his way to Leonardo to get the new weapon he had created for him using one of the codex pages. It was evening and his walk to the atelier had been quiet and uneventful.

It was _Carnavale_ in _Venezia_ and no one seemed interested anymore in the 'murder' of the late doge. They were all too caught in the fever of the festival, running around the streets of the city, preparing for the dances and games to come. He thought how one of those masks would come in handy in this kind of situation.

Once in front of the atelier he knocked three times before entering. Usually, when the artist was in the atelier, unless it was night, he would keep the door opened.

'Salute Leonardo!'

The artist got up from the desk happy to see his friend.

'Ezio, I was wondering when you will drop by.' And before going to greet him he opened a drawer and picked up one of the blades.

'This is for you. I hope you haven't missed it.'

The assassin grinned and attached it to his arm.

'You see this? That's a sort of firearm. It is amazing how small and efficient at the same time it can be. And giving the fireworks of the _Carnevale_ I believe you won't cause any suspicions if you try it.'

'_Grazie, amico_. Listen, about the _Carnevale_… do you have a mask I could borrow?'

'Ah, of course! Let me check.'

And with that the artist disappeared in the next room.

'You are not going to do something reckless, are you?'

'Like what?'

The artist returned with a mask in his hands.

'Like going all alone after Barbarigo.'

'I am not that stupid Leonardo.'

The man stared pensively at the mask before handling it.

'You should go see Antonio. I have seen him quite a bit lately at a, um, mutually friend's. Look for him there – at Dorsoduro district. Ask for sister Teodora.'

Ezio arched an eyebrow involuntary.

'Sister?'

But the artist pretended not to give importance to his question.

'Still, be careful, even with the mask – you are still in the memory of enough of _Venezia's_ people.'

'_Certo, certo_._ Grazie _again_._'

'_De nula.'_(It's nothing.)

He lost no time and made his way as fast as he could to the address. It wasn't very hard to find the place as, once entering the district the name of this _sister_ was on many men's lips.

In front of the door he felt like laughing to himself. This was the second time Leonardo would send him to a _bordello. _He was starting to have his doubts about the man.

Ezio pushed the door opened and it didn't take long for him to spot the familiar face in the great hall of the house. On a red velvet sofa Antonio was happily enjoying the company of two courtesans. At least someone was feeling the spirit of the _Carnevale_.

'Antonio. We need to talk.'

He came closer and took his mask down. At first, confuse at the sight of the Assassin Antonio grinned and lifted the glass of wine up in the air, filling the hall with his carefree laughter.

'Ha ha ha! Ezio! Ezio Auditore!'

Then, he turned to the tall woman who had been standing all this time near the sofa.

'Teodora! Meet Ezio – the most…ahem... talented man in all Venezia!'

It was clear by now that Antonio was in a more cheerful mood than his usual self and Ezio didn't know if he should take for granted his words or if they were some sort of pun.

He approached the woman and bowed. Noticing the white nun veil and the cross hanging at her neck Ezio instantly realized to whom he was making acquaintance.

'Madonna. Aaah… Sister Teodora.'

Then, all too amused by it, Ezio turned to Antonio.

'I never imagined you as a religious type.'

'It depends on how you understand religion my son. It's not just men's souls that call for soothing.'

What could he say? He was rather impressed by the smart remark.

'Come. Join us Ezio. Have a drink; meet the ladies.'

He was amused by the good humour of the house. If things were different he would have accepted the invitation.

He shook his head.

'Antonio, I trust you know why I am here.'

And by the look of it, so it was. He sighed, the good mood disappearing. Putting the glass on the table he pushed one of the girls away to make some space to get up.

'I imagine to get rid of Marco Barbarigo. But really Ezio, we did this once already! And this new Templar Doge is a bigger _culo _(ass) that the last. Nevermind that he **never **leaves the _Palazzo_.'

At that the woman interfered.

'That may be right… except for tomorrow night. It is after all_ Carnevale _and he wouldn't miss it at any cost.' At that she looked the Assassin straight in the eyes, sure of the importance of her words. 'In fact, he is throwing one of the parties that the nobles are holding in this period of the _Carnevale. _– the biggest of them all.'

'That could be a good chance.'

Though, the sister cut him off.

'But getting in won't be so simple. You'll need a golden mask for entry. And before you think about forging one, keep in mind, each mask is numbered.'

Both men looked at each other like two children who were being scolded.

'Fortunately for you I have an idea. You might be able to **win** you a mask. It is a tradition that during the games of the _Carnavale_ to be held a series of competitions that has as a prize a mask for the doge's party for whoever wins. They will be held tomorrow evening right before the party.'

The thought of those competitions made Ezio smile. Maybe going along just a little with the atmosphere of festival won't do him any wrong.

'It is only a shame that I have to wait until tomorrow evening Sister.'

'Patience is a virtue my son.'

At that Antonio laughed hard.

'That is what she says to all the clients.'

'Well then, if we have settled for a plan I guess we should meet tomorrow evening.'

'And this is how you manage to spoil all the fun, Ezio.'

While putting back his mask the man shook his head and sneered at the comment.

The two of them were walked to the door by the sister while the girls in the hall waved and invited them to stop by again.

'See you tomorrow Teodora.'

'_A piu tardi_.' ( Later.)

'Sister Teodora.'

Ezio bowed again but didn't miss her slyly smile before turning around and stepping outside after his friend.  
The two of them mingled with the crowd on the streets. The city was more alive now at night, then during the day. Ezio missed this kind of atmosphere; he missed the carnivals in Florence.

His thoughts were interrupted by Antonio's voice.

'What have you been doing these past few months?'

'Hiding.'

At the annoyed answer Antonio could only snicker.

'Don't worry, don't worry. It's perfectly understandable.'

Ezio was anything but amused by it. He glanced at one young girl dragging her lover across the road to watch the fireworks.

'How is Shiva doing?'

The man froze. That name. He had fought long to keep that person out of his head.

'How should I know? I believe well enough since she switched sides; after all the Templars were never closed-fisted with those that work for them.'

He tried to sound as detached and sarcastic as he could. But he had to stop. Not because he wanted to but because Antonio had done so and was now watching him with a smile of confusion as if he had heard a joke.

'What are you talking about? I asked you how she was doing; how was she recovering.'

At that Ezio mirrored his friend's confusion. Even so, in the same time his heart felt the size of a needle.

'Recovering?'

But he got no answer. Instead, the man continued to stare at him with a serious face. Then his tone got lower and deeper and his eyebrows furrowed.

'You mean Leonardo didn't tell you?'

'Tell me what!' He had no idea if he had asked that or demanded it.

Antonio sighed and rolled his eyes.

'I can't believe I got myself into this; should have kept my mouth shut.'

'Antonio! Tell me what!'

He looked at the assassin then, shaking his head he started to walk again, making the other man follow.

'The evening when the doge was murdered; she was caught by the guards and beaten to within an inch of life.'

Ezio felt his blood froze. He wanted to make the damn man stop and look at him when talking.

'Beaten? But –'

'I thought that you would know since you've been there. Right – how didn't you know? My men heard the guards talking to each other some days after the incident how they got her in the inner court and received orders from the superiors to make her 'disappear' in the dungeons. What stroke me was that they said that she hadn't even flinched to make an escape – it's not like Shiva at all to stay like a rag doll. It surprises me that you knew nothing of it.' He ended throwing him a suspicious look.

But to Ezio it mattered little to follow his insinuations. By now his heart was beating like mad against his chest and a wave of horror washed over him, probably making him look as pale as a ghost under the mask.

'What happened to her?'

The abrupt voice made Antonio stop for good and analyse the man with calculated eyes. Debating on whether to give away or not the information, he gave up under the pressure of those sharp eyes that were pinning him down from behind the mask.

'She probably came to her senses and managed to escape. One of my men caught sight of her at the _canale_ forming from the Palazzo. At first he had thought it was a corps flowing above the water but when it hit the walls of the _canale_ it started to move. She pulled herself up eventually and for minutes she remained still on the ground until a drunken man stumbled over her body. She got up and literally crawled half of _Venezia _to Leonardo's place. The boy told me that it took her hours to reach Leonardo's place; that at times she would fall to the ground and stop moving, making him believe that she had died. Heh – she is a hard one to break, Shiva. She had always been stubborn; too stubborn to die.'

In Ezio's head was now constantly playing the image of Leonardo's blooded hands.

'And you didn't do anything about it!'

Antonio didn't take well his outburst.

'You know that she's not one of my men's favourite persons. They couldn't care less if she died. The one that had followed her did it out of simple curiosity. I can't ask them to help someone who let their friends die.'

'Where is she?'

'Why don't you ask Leonardo? I don't want to get mixed in troubles that obviously are out of my concern.'

'Fine. Thank you for it anyway.'

'Don't mention it.' And this time Antonio had meant it literally.

Without another word Ezio started to run as fast as he could towards the atelier. He wasn't even bothering to avoid the guard's patrols. He felt like a complete idiot. It had happened right under his nose. She must have reached Leonardo's not long before him. He knew that Leonardo was lying to him that morning -he was making lies so see through; but he let it go; he chose not to insist and now for that he despised himself.

And he was confused – so fucking confused. He didn't know what he should believe, who he should trust. He hated her; he hated her so much for being so damn hard to understand.

He went for the handle but the door was locked. He started to knock with the side of his fist until the door opened.

'What on earth Ezio? _Cosa sta sucedendo?'_ (What is happening?)

He was having problems breathing from the run.

'Where is she?'

The artist, still confused by his sudden, powerful visit couldn't follow his thoughts.

'_Prego?' (_I'm sorry?)

'Where . is. she?'

Then, it all fell together.

Leonardo sighed.

'Would you please get inside and lower your voice? You are attracting too much attention.' he glanced over the Assassin's shoulder at the people passing nearby, whispering to themselves.

Ezio slipped in but refused to move away from the artist.

'Where is she?' He started to look around the atelier while Leonardo was foreseeing a headache. 'She's not he-'

'Why did you lie to me?'

'Listen. Let's take a seat. I'll offer you something to drink while you calm down.'

'Calm down? You lied to me. I let her there only to find out that she has been beaten. I don't care what she does, on whose side she's playing - **I let her there! **Don't you think that I feel responsible for what happened to her? Do you know how awful I feel? You had her here, bleeding to death and you lied to me!'

'Ezio! I don't appreciate you yelling at me!' The artist turned around, away from the entrance, and looked over his shoulder at the man before moving on. 'And she is out of danger.'

'But she is not fine!'

It was enough for his friend to stop and throw him a stern look to make him realize that he had gone too far.

So he followed but stopped in front of a chair, not sitting down.

'You can't really say she's fine, now; at least her wounds might have healed by now.' Leonardo went on since Ezio allowed him to speak.

'I want to know what happened.'

The man went for a bottle of wine and two glasses. He put them on the desk and poured in both.

'Don't you let yourself think that you are the only one in shock at the news. Imagine how I felt when I found her body at 4 in morning at my backdoor. It was a nightmare. At first I thought I was going to have to see her die.'

'Where is she?'

'Don't worry; she is safe now.'

'Why didn't you tell me?'

'When you knocked that morning at the door she feared it might be you. I wouldn't have lied to you but she asked me not to tell you anything. She probably didn't want you to see her like that. She always does that – she says she doesn't need pity.'

'But that's absurd! I could have helped.'

'It would have only caused problems. I was scared that she would have tried to run away. And in her condition – I don't even want to think of the damaged. I was scared to death that morning thinking that I might have to see her die there and then.'

'I can't understand. How could this happen? I thought she was there to kill the doge. When I saw her standing there, covered in his blood – '

'Kill the doge? Oh no; no. no. no. That poor girl!'

Leonardo stared at his untouched glass not knowing if he should continue to talk or not. He glanced at Ezio then, while lining his lips he seemed to come to a decision.

'Shiva was the doge's niece.'

Ezio froze. He simply stood and stared back at the artist. Of all the things he was willing to hear, this he would have never expected.

With another sigh the man stopped in front of the fire.

'Do you remember when I told you about Shiva's parents? Well...her mother wasn't her father's wife. She was a French noblewoman and her father was the late Pietro Mocenigo, doge of Venetia. In his early life he had fallen in love with her and had an affair. Shiva was the product of that affair and at that time, the illicit child of the future doge. He couldn't afford to let people know about this or his title would have been compromised. So, to keep both the woman he loved and his child safe from the prying eyes he bought them a villa near _Torino_ and visited them as often as he could. Her mother died when Shiva was still a child, even before _Messer_ Mocenigo could become doge. She was murdered on one of the alleys of _Torino. _Shiva says it must have been ordered by someone from her father's family. The attack was meant for both of them but she managed to run away. Unfortunately, when she returned with help it was too late. After that incident she ran from home.'

Ezio remembered her mentioning it but never had he imagined that she had gone through such terrible things at only fourteen years.

'She was a smart child. She knew that if she disappeared her father would have less to suffer. But years later something happened and they had a fight. He had wrote numerous letters to her conjuring her to put aside the hard feeling and return to Venice to reconcile before he would leave for Scutari; it was as if the man knew he wasn't going to come back. And the rest… you probably know. He won the battle but he never returned alive. And by the time Shiva had decided to forgive him he was already gone.'

Ezio took a step back and let his body fall in the chair. No wonder she was consumed by regrets. If only he would have known in time and instead of false accusing her –

'And the doge? The last doge..'

'Giovanni Mocenigo was Pietro's younger brother and in the same time the only member of the Mocenigo family that, with knowledge of Shiva's existence, loved her and offered her protection in Venice. Actually, during the time Shiva's father was doge Giovanni used to offer his house for the two of them to meet. I believe he was the closest thing to family Shiva still had until … recently; having to see him die in front of her eyes, without being able to do anything must have been a nightmare. Shiva was probably trying to save him, only that… it had been too late.'

Leonardo made a pause and turned around from the fire.

'Shiva…had always been sensitive about this matter. Her fear of people, her lack of trust it's not necessary because of others but because of herself. She is always afraid of doing mistakes and when it comes to relationships with others she lacks confidence; not that life has helped her condition much.'

The man breathed out heavily and continued more to himself. 'She is not as strong as she looks.'

'She doesn't look strong to begin with.' The way Ezio's words came out proved him that the man cared for Shiva, and like a concerned father he would have wished to know her safe than doing the things she does. But that was Shiva; and some things you can't change.

'Ezio, you know what I mean.'

The assassin kept quiet for some minutes.

'All the things you've told me; they still sound surreal.'

'Well, Shiva wouldn't be that great at what she does if she couldn't keep her own life a secret.'

'Damn it! Where is she? I have to talk to her.'

At that Leonardo grimaced. 'I don't think that's such a great idea.'

'Leonardo! I know that right now I may not be her favorite person. Actually if she is angry with me she has all the rights to. I was the one that made false assumptions. After all that Antonio and Rosa have told me I blamed her without even trying to find an explanation. If anything at all, I want to know that she's well and tell her that I am sorry.'

His friend approached the table and lifted his glass.

'I am sure she didn't exhaust herself with explaining you her situation either. She knew that you were involved in this conspiracy against the doge and something tells me that she didn't exactly run to you for help.'

'But we both know that Shiva would rather cut her hand than sharing her personal affairs; and knowing that I still doubted her. I even thought she had switched sides.'

'Look, why don't you take some rest?'

He put the glass down after taking one sip and then turned around, pacing in front of the fireplace.

'Rest? How can I rest?'

And like magic those words sent Ezio in his initial state, when he had entered the atelier – now on his feet and glaring at the artist's back.

The man didn't even bother to look back at him.

'Go to _La Maison du Sphix.'_

'_Maison du Sphinx?_' Ezio tried to place it on the map of _Venezia._ 'But that is a brothel – Leonardo, is this a joke? I told you I –'

'Shiva is there.'

And with that the artist shut him up and went to his desk.

'Ask for _Madame; _also known as _Le Sphinx. _Now if you please, I have some work to finish.'

Ezio smirked at the unhappy artist.

'_Grazie!'_

And putting back his mask and hood he marched towards the door.

'And as a reminder, consider that when you will be thrown out of there all bruised and beaten, it won't be my fault. You're on your own.'

'I'll take the chances.'

And with a last smile towards the working artist he left the house.

His friend's words played into his mind. He didn't care, really; if she were to hit him, scratch him or bite him she could do it as hard and for as long as she wanted. If she was well enough to do that he was going to be more than happy to receive her outburst.

* * *

_**a.n.: **_In my profile you also find a link to another drawing of Shiva. For some time now I wanted to draw Shiva in the 3 moments in this story when she'll wear a dress: in the first one she is 17 and she wears it at a Carnival in Florence. I do not know if I'll have the time to write a one-shot about that moment. It's about her story with Federico. Of course at that time Ezio and Shiva didn't know eachother. The second one, is the blue dress she will wear in the near future in the story during the Carnival of Venice when she is already 27. And the third one - well, she'll wear that at a very distant moment in the story where she will be already over 40 - I will say nothing more about that one. ;))

And more importantly, may you have a Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays, luvs. Kisses and hugs!


	17. Maison du Sphynx

_**Capitolo Diciassette**_

* * *

He made his way to the _bordello. _He had never been there but it was well known among those who could afford a visit. The name was French which led him to believe that the owner must be also French.

It was almost comical how this was the third time when Leonardo was sending him to such a place. Ezio was starting to worry a little; the artist was indeed a strange character.

In front of the door he found the courtesy of knocking before entering. But when he opened the door he was starting to have a clear idea why _Maison du Sphinx _was one of the most desired locations in Venezia. The second he stepped in, sweet incense overtook his senses and the rich decorations of the interior made him feel like he had stepped in an entire different world from the humid weathered Venetia. The warm light of the candles was throwing the enormous hall in a playground of golden shadows and the blood coloured veils falling from the ceiling were transforming the place into a semitransparent labyrinth. Everything about this place was luxury and forbidden pleasures. It was so very different from what Sister Teodora had, and even Paola's Rosa Colta couldn't compare.

The courtesans were pacing through the veils with the delicacy of nymphs. Some would glance at him in their walk and smile his way. Some would giggle and blow kisses.

Ezio was ripped away from the dream when his arms were caught each by a pair of more slender bare ones. He looked at the blonde and redhead that had thrown themselves at him smiling. One got up on her toes and started to whisper in a sweet Italian in his ear. The other one brought her hand to his face and made him watch her way. Eyeing his lips she laughed before speaking in a French spoiled Italian.

'We have been expecting you _Ser _Ezio'

He frowned and his smile dropped. How did she know his name? And he had been expected?

'Adèle, Francesca - leave _Monsieur_ Auditore alone.'

Ezio looked up to meet another courtesan standing in front of them, hands on her hips, her brunette hair falling down her shoulders. The woman smirked as the girls pouted and retreated past her.

'Actually, Adèle please announce _Madame_ that _Monsieur_ Ezio has finally decided to make an appearance.'

The woman made her way to Ezio and stopped right in front of him so close that he could feel her breath on his face.

'_Beau_. (Beautiful) Madame will be pleased about what she'll see. And even if she'll pin you down with her eyes don't get discouraged. Trust me when I tell you that she will be satisfied by your looks.'

'By my looks? What does any of this have to do with me being here? And what's this about expecting me?'

The woman's grin got bigger as she threw her arms around his neck and crushed her lips on his. In the same time he put his hands on her waist to push her away but the taste of her made him less determined.

'It took you long to show yourself _Mesieur. _But I guess later is better than never.'A strong voice broke the spell and as the girl stepped away, getting her warm kiss with her, she revealed not far from them the silhouette of a beautiful woman, dressed elegantly and adorned with rich jewelries. She had a distinct aura around her, her head high and her hands ethically united in front of her. What struck Ezio was the white wig that French were always fashionably wearing and the way in which he couldn't read her age. One thing he knew she was old enough, powerful enough and respected enough to carry a business on her own. She was _Le Sphynx._

'_Madame._'

He bowed when she raised her hand palm down, expecting for him to come and greet her properly. So he did, approaching and kissing her hand. Ezio eyed her cautiously.

'Am I to understand that you know the reason of my presence?'

'Of course I do. If it were for any reason other than seeking forgiveness I would have to ask you to leave and enter my _Maison_ never again.'

His expression darkened.

'Now, now; there is no reason to feel ashamed of that _Monsieur_. I am merely trying to make sure that your feelings are sincere and that you are truly wishing to accept forgiveness.'

His jaw clenched.

'But first, if you may, do you care to take a walk with me around _la Maison?'_

By her grin Ezio knew she was a master at reading faces and emotions and his disapproval and anxiety were accessible to her.

'It will be my pleasure to keep you company.'

He bowed again.

The woman extended her arm waiting for him to take it and secure it around his own.

Ezio followed the rules patiently but on the inside he was burning to know what this was about and to finally get to see Shiva. As if she was reading his thoughts, while they were making their way through the veils, she let her voice trail again.

'You have to be aware that in order to see Shiva again you have to have my approval, so before reaching her you have to convince me of your worthiness.'

At her words the name of the brothel came into his mind. The sphinx was indeed the perfect choice.

As they passed through various rooms Ezio couldn't stop himself from comparing the place with an oriental garden of pleasures.

The woman watched him from the corner of her eyes.

'How do you find my girls, Ezio?'

'They are… truly beautiful.'

The woman smiled pleased.

'Of course they are.'

Right behind them the woman from the doorway was following closely.

'Do you notice something in particular about them?'

At her words he took a better look at the girls and took his time before answering.

"You have French women also.'

The woman let out an elegant laughter at his curious sense of observation. 'Of course I do. You see, French lovers are very different from Italian. My _Maison _has both.'

As strange as the situation was he couldn't resist not smiling at the women that were waving and laughing for his attention.

'An Italian woman is natural and passionate. She has an instinctual talent of alluring men; she is warm and gives herself body and soul to her man. She is also made of powerful emotions and easily possessed by sweet jealousy; She is fiery and when guided by emotions she transforms into a passionate savage creature, a wild animal fighting for what belongs to her with her entire body.'

The woman made a pause and they continued their walk in silence.

'A French lover is charming and alluring. But she is also imposing and hard to bend. She is determined and cunning. She doesn't possess that natural beauty that the Italian woman does so she uses tricks to charm her man. And she is terribly hard to conquer and keep her in her place. And in what concerns passion … they always seem incapable of it, until you have managed to bring her to the bed. There, even the virgins know how to use their bodies to fulfill the most terrible pleasures. But as an advice, their love is as passionate as their crimes.'

She smiled cunningly sounding very proud of her words.

Listening to her, Ezio had no choice than give into the temptation of looking around at the girls. He found himself very amused at how this little description was actually very visible and making the courtesans see through. At the attention they started to fret excited, laugh and flirt. Ezio laughed at the situation and caught in the game he didn't even realize when the woman slipped ahead of him. She looked over her shoulder and smiled enigmatically. Like a game of spirits Ezio soon found himself surrounded by beautiful young girls. He stole a glance at _Madam, _who was making her way into the other room and decided it was time to go.

'_Mi dispiace, care mie. _(I am sorry, my dears). But I cannot leave _Madame_'s side'. He winked and with a last bow in front of the courtesans he caught up with the woman. When he entered the same room she eyed him with the same mysterious and smiling face.

She turned around and made her way to a red velvet sofa in the middle of the room.

'You are attentive and a great charmer to my girls.'

Ezio simply smirked. 'It is a sin to be ignorant to such beauty.'

The woman laughed and looked at him in a calculating way.

'Indeed, your brother was a great sinner.'

Her smile turned into a knowingly smirk while in the same time Ezio's disappeared into an expression on confusion and hard awakening.

'My brother? Federico? How do you know of him?'

She continued to smile while making an elegant pirouette before sitting down.

'Like you, he had come here years ago, looking for the same person.'

The woman arranged her dress and looking ahead she sighed at the memories. 'But compared to you, he had been _tres, tres _(very, very) rude with my girls.' She side glanced at the man.

'Please, have a seat near me.'

But he refused to move, eyeing her with a sharp stare.

At his clear refusal her smile got smarter as she started to look ahead once again.

'Acting rebellious and picking a fight with me won't be in your advantage. Let me clarify something. Shiva has no idea of your presence. In fact this is the one place she refuses to leave because no one can link it with her. Obviously you have great persuasion skills since Leonardo betrayed her trust and sent you here. To make thing clear I don't care much if she wants to see you or not; what is important to you is to make sure that I am satisfied enough with you to let you pass.'

But instead of answering to her provocation Ezio's expression darkened.

'My brother has been here?'

The woman made herself more comfortable.

'Once; years ago.' She suddenly smiled at a memory. 'He was stubborn and determined. My girls instantly took a liking in him but he was running through them as if they were mere obstacles in his way.'

Then, she lowered her head, returning to the present and gently tapping the empty space near her.

'Please, don't be stubborn.'

Ezio furrowed but eventually he took his mask off and approached the sofa.

'Ever since Shiva has informed a long time ago of your presence in Venice, I have to confess, I have been very interested in meeting you.'

When he took the other seat on the sofa she leaned backwards and watched him with an unreadable expression. 'Federico's little brother; the survivor; the avenger; the Hassassin_._' She made a pause and Ezio asked nothing, knowing that she would speak on her own. 'You must forgive me for unintentionally comparing you with your brother as you must forgive Shiva also for the same deed. But you two are so very different.'

He felt his hands on his knees turn into powerless fists. He had no idea why it bothered him so much, but eventually he nodded.

The same wise smile was back on the beautiful face of the woman. She leaned a little closer, gently brushing from his face locks of Ezio's hair and tugging it behind his ear.

'But, do you know what the biggest difference between you two is?' When he didn't move she let her hand caress his cheek down to his chin. 'He was in love.'

The woman smiled and straightened back. In that moment of silence he looked around the large room, at the women around and up the stairs to the upper corridor. He tried to see it, he tried to imagine how things had happened years ago. He envied his brother once again. Ezio let his mind imagine the shadow of a younger Federico running around the place, laughing and trying to get out of the women's charms, never losing sight of the dark cape. He would run up the stairs after her and laugh harder with each insult she would throw. He envied his brother's power of taking everything that he wanted; this envy had started since childhood when he had been the first to get their father's attention; he envied that the same way he envied the secrets that his father had been sharing with Federico; secrets that he had come to know too late. That moment he felt like he could understand Shiva a little. To everything that Federico knew or had he had come too late. To the woman Federico had loved he had also come too late – it had become late for him the moment that Federico had fallen in love with her.

'I don't know anything about her.'

He surprised himself with his whispered statement. What pushed him to say that aloud was a mystery.

The woman laughed. 'Do you really need someone to tell you things about themselves to know them? Tell me …what is she like with you?'

Ezio relaxed in the seat and stared absentmindedly into the light of a candle.

'She's stubborn, arrogant, witty, quick, determined, she occasionally throws me that look as if she would want to inflict endless physical pain on me…' his voice trailed a little sardonically and with a quick glanced he caught the sight of a terribly amused woman, realizing that he had probably gone too far.

The woman tried not to show amusement at the comical reaction that she had not expected but it was almost impossible. 'And…what do those…characteristics tell you about her?'

Suddenly to Ezio the woman became easier to talk to and he was starting to lose the insecure felling her scrutinising eyes were giving him. Thinking about it, when he had met Shiva she had done the same. He snorted jokingly.

'She's French.'

At that the woman couldn't resist and laughed shortly.

'Mmm, that she is.; Then her smile suddenly turned into a slyer one, lots of meanings hidden behind it. Ezio instantly understood it and shook his head a little embarrassed.

'_No, no, no. no._ I didn't mean it that way. I wouldn't even know.' The more fervent his defense was getting the more hard was for the woman not to laugh. 'We never – she and I – we're just – partners…were.'

At his confused statement the woman finally gave up and with her gloved hand, trying to cover her mouth, she let out an enchanting laugher.

'I understand.' He almost breathed easily but then the wicked smile was back. He could now see so many traits in common at the two women. 'Shiva is always wearing the pants in your ...partnership.'

He was about to nod at the fact that Shiva was indeed lacking femininity when he realized her trick.

'What? _No!_ That's not what I meant.'

What the hell was wrong with him? He was feeling like a 17 years old boy without a single sense of tact. He laughed openly. Women were indeed a mystery. He glanced at _Madame _and smirked, shaking his head.

'When she looks at you she does make you feel like an inexperienced, easily disposable, novice adjutant.'

At his sincere answer he was met with a sincere smile.

'You are doing well, Ezio.'

He eyed her confused. He had no idea what her words were supposed to mean.

'But don't ever let her know I told you that. She'll bear a grudge against me for the rest of her live.'

'If you don't mind me asking… what is your relationship with Shiva?'

'Ah,' the woman's face lightened. 'But I know the girl since she was a baby.'

Ezio eyed her with interest. How old was this woman?

'Her mother and I were very close friends. She was of noble family in France. When I found news that she was pregnant I knew that here, in Italy, she was all alone so I came and opened a brothel in Venice to take care of her and her child. I believe you already know of Shiva's father.' The woman eyed him. 'It wasn't long after Shiva was born that the Mocenigo family found out about her and their misfortune begun. It was hard for Shiva to watch the last person she had considered family die in front of her. Until this awful event Venice had been a home for her. Giovanni Mocenigo and I have deliberately taken upon us the role of her godparents. And now…. I am all she has.'

The sound of the laughing courtesans went on in the background of Ezio's mind. He wanted to go and see her and stop losing time, here, with this woman, no matter how enchanting she was. But until she was to give a sign he couldn't do anything.

'You said that Shiva's mother was a French noble…'

'Yes, luckily for her, the girl also possesses much more French traits than Italian.' Ezio looked at her almost insulting smile. 'But I know that is not what you wanted to ask. You are finding this … association between a noble woman and a courtesan … incredulous, so to say. In France this is not such a peculiar situation. A woman, even a married woman must know how to keep her man next to her; just for her. In France women are taught the art of seduction. And a smart woman, being poor or rich knows where to go to find a good adviser. It just happened that Hélène and I became very good friends and shared … everything.'

At her last words her eyes glimmered seductively and her lips expressed an amused secrecy.

She continued to eye him in an uncomfortable silence that she ended with a smile.

'Very well, Ezio Auditore. You have managed to entertain me quite well. I shall grant you permission to see Shiva.'

The woman got up and stepped away from the sofa. When he did the same she turned to meet his eyes.

'Please follow me.'

The woman went to the staircase where she clapped her hands.

'Aurore.'

The same woman that had kissed him at the entrance appeared through the door and made her way to them accompanied by a shorter girl that was carrying a bowl and a cotton wiper in her hands.

'Is the bath ready?'

'It will be in a couple of minutes _Madame_.' And unlike their previous meeting her voice wasn't sweet anymore and she was barely giving him any attention.

The woman next to him smiled.

'Good.' She looked at the other girl. 'Please hand the ointment to _Monsieur_ Auditore.'

She did as instructed while Ezio eyed with confusion the bowl already in his hands.

The girl that went by the name of Aurore frowned.

'_Madame…_ are you going to let him go upstairs?'

The man looked up only to meet what he thought to be an expression of disapproval.

The elder woman smiled.

'Isn't that the reason why he is here?'

She turned around and stepped on the stairs.

The other woman tried to stop her by grabbing the handrail.

'Shiva won't be happy about this.' And by her vehement protest Ezio realized that the woman herself wasn't very content with him meeting the thief either.

The woman dismissed her by continuing up the stairs.

'That girl wouldn't know what is good or her even if happiness were to hit her in the face.'

Ezio followed but threw a glance at the unhappy brunette at the bottom of the stairs.

'Don't mind Aurore. She simply cares a lot for Shiva. As many others of my girls do.'

He walked behind her and looked absentmindedly at the greenish ointment in the bowl.

'How could you possibly know why I am here?'

The woman waited until they were in the corridor.

'A woman doesn't need words to understand a man. She knows how to read him just by looking into his eyes. And all the time we've been talking you were anxious about something even if you tried to sound as calm as possible. You were worried and you want to chase that worry away. It is only natural.'

She smiled at him. 'And the fact that I know the details of the story helped.'

The woman finally stopped in front of a door.

Before grabbing the handle she brought a finger to her lips instructing Ezio to keep quiet.

She opened the door and Ezio followed her inside.

The room was as richly decorated as the rest of the halls and rooms from downstairs but others were the reasons why Ezio's grip got harder on the clay bowl.

On the large bed there was a woman, on her side, her back to them. If it weren't for the long wavy light ash hair scattered over the pillows he wouldn't have recognised Shiva's slender body in the white nightgown she was wearing.

'Is Claudine still angry with me?'

Her voice sounded bored and distant.

'We've already discussed this. Until you will go and tell her you are sorry for yelling at her I wouldn't even allow her to talk with you. She simply wanted to help you wash. Just because you are headstrong not to get any kind of help it doesn't allow you to teach people out of their beliefs. Most women, unlike you were also thought the art of serving.'

The woman made her way to the windows to pull the curtains.

'Pff, I'd rather grow a dick and beard and sweat all day at a bar paying women for services than learn that.'

At that phrase the woman's hand skipped and the curtain almost fell.

'Shiva! _Arrête d'être grossière!' _(Stop being foul-mouthed!)

For Ezio it was surreal how his presence was still unnoticed. He kept quiet, by the entrance. Under normal conditions her words would have triggered in him a reaction not very different from the woman's but hearing the same sarcastic, audacious and irresponsible Shiva felt like a heavy burden lifted from his soul and he actually smirked. She was truly unstoppable.

'Oh, and this book was boring.' With that she threw away the object that had been keeping her unaware of her surroundings. She let her head rest on the pillow.

The standing woman threw her a glare and then it all changed. Ezio swore that he saw revenge in her eyes as she smiled and made her was towards the door.

'After you two will be done with the ointment, note that your bath is ready.'

In an instant the other woman tensed. 'What do you mean two-'

But her body had been faster in getting in a sitting position and turn around than her words.

Ezio watched the two citrine orbs widen in recognition and dismay.

For the first time he saw her open her mouth and no word coming out. Then she started to babble without a real word to form on her lips.

'Wha-' She stopped. Her eyes narrowed dangerously. 'What is he doing here?'

But the woman turned in the doorway and smiled satisfied before looking at him.

'Don't keep her too long. We don't want the water to get cold.'

The horror in her eyes grew and she desperately threw an arm in air pointing at the woman.

'Don't you dare leave him here! Do you hear m-'

But the door shut right into her shouts.

She huffed revolted.

'What an insufferable woman!'

Ezio swore that with the heavy hair falling messily over her shoulder she looked like a dragon blowing smoke though its nose; and he couldn't stop himself:

'Reminds me of someone I know.'

She shot him a dirty glare not very thrilled by his pun.

'Ha- ha.'

She lowered her head and watched him through her eyelashes.

'How did you get here?'

'Leonardo told me where to find you.'

She snorted. 'Leonardo doesn't know when to shut his mouth.'

He looked at her. Even if still sarcastic, he felt as if he was facing a different Shiva. She sounded exhausted and lacking her usual fire. He also considered how without her usual black clothes, she seemed almost vulnerable; her hair was free, falling heavily in voluminous and untidy waves to her middle and her body was barely covered by that thin nightgown unfastened at the top and falling down her shoulders.

Even if she looked beautiful in that queen sized bed he felt guilty. And every thought that was sprouting in his mind at that moment, he was blaming them on that guilt. Knowing her, she probably could never understand the feeling of intimacy and ownership she was arousing in him. And like a circle of excuses he blamed that on his breeding. His mother had taught them of a woman's dignity, of how she should commit soul and body to only one man. He realized how repugnant the thought of other men participating to a similar scene seemed to him. It disgusted him and it enraged him. She had been Federico's lover; it was only normal to try and protect her now that he was gone. She was his responsibility, the same way he was responsible for Claudia. That's why he decided he hated this part of Shiva; he didn't like her vulnerable self; he would do anything to have back that woman it was so easy to hate and hard to get along. And he had himself to blame for the change.

'How do you feel?'

And, to his dislike, instead of fighting him as her usual self she let it go and accepted his presence.

'As after being pushed from one of the towers of the Basillica.'

He stepped ahead.

'About what happened…'

But before he could continue he followed her in shock as she pushed herself at the edge of the bed and lifted her nightgown up to her thighs, revealing her long legs.

He watched her, petrified. When he didn't move she arched an eyebrow.

'What? You're the one holding the ointment, _Madame_ is gone and I can't apply it myself since it burns like hell.'

She pushed her left leg forward in the air and eyed him expectedly.

He looked at the bowl in his hands and sighed. He wasn't that sure he wanted the usual Shiva back anymore. He let his hood down and crouched at the legs of the bed.

He was about to grip her leg and ask what her majesty wants him to do when he noticed the red, inflamed skin on her inner calf.

'What –'

Worried, he looked up without finishing his question.

'It's because of that damned stinky ointment. My leg was broken and it penetrates to the bones to help with a faster recovering. Unfortunately, while I am using it, it also irritates my skin.'

Out of curiosity he brought the bowl up and smelled the balm. The next second he snapped his head backwards at the foul odor.

'What on earth is in this thing?'

'I rather not know. Though, considering the number of witches _Madam_e has as friends it wouldn't surprise me if there were eyes and rats along the ingredients.'

His eyebrow lifted up incredulously, the grimace provoked by the smell still on his face.

'And you trust it?'

'If I hadn't I wouldn't have been able to move my body right now.'

Her answer triggered Antonio's words in his memory. Once again guilt took over him as he tried to imagine what she had to go through.

With his head down he watched her inflamed calf again. Unconsciously his eyes trailed up her leg and he frowned at the scar he spotted on the side of her thigh. Without thinking too much at what he was doing he let one of his knees on the ground and stretched his arm, feeling the healed scar with his gloved hand.

'What did this?' even if now it was healed it was clear that it used to be a large gash.

'Cinquedea.' She stopped to look at the scar. '…went halfway in. I was lucky it didn't go through my bones.'

He sighed and let his hand trace back down but he stopped at the knee. Once the hand passed it revealed on its exterior side a small round scar. His eyes narrowed and before he had the time to ask she offered her answer.

'That's years old. I almost forgot about it.' She brought her hand next to his, caressing the spot. He took her hand away to have a better look.

She sighed annoyed. 'It's a nail.'

'Nails don't leave marks that big.'

'Well… it was a bigger nail… screw-shank…nail.'

She looked away trying not to see his reaction.

'How on earth -?'

'Look! I was not born wise, ok? At some point I had to end up angering the wrong guys!'

'That could have left you cripple!'

'Of course, moron! What do you think they intended by nailing it into my knee?' At her matter of fact tone he went from worried to annoyed. He was afraid that if he were to voice his thoughts he would sound like Leonardo; but she really needed to value her body and life more.

He picked up her foot and rested it on his thigh.

'At this rate you won't be able to wear dresses with a body covered all in scars.'

Even if he was looking at her leg he felt her body tense and caught sight of her right hand circling around her left wrist, securing the white sleeve over the arm.

She looked away.

'If you like dresses that much you can wear them.' Her sarcastic tone was contrasting with her body language. On a side note Ezio remembered _Madame_'s comment about pants and partnerships.

He shook his head and wanted to take some of the salve on his fingers when she slapped his hand.

'What are you thinking? That thing really burns.' Her voice, at first worried returned to her normal calm tone. 'Use the wiper or it will burn your hand for hours.'

He took the piece of cloth and soaked it in the bowl, then, without another word he started to gently pat her already red skin. He wanted to show her that he was sorry, that he cared and that he was concerned about her wellbeing but she would refuse to let him and make a laugh out of each and every single attempt.

What would he have to do to this woman to make her listen? Because even if he had ended up caring for her she was insufferable.

'I'm sorry.'

When no answer came he looked up at her. Her face was grimaced in a terrible comical way, one eye closed and she was biting her lower lip.

She hissed.

'Well, it's true that you could make the burning more supportable if you were to blow in the same time.'

He let his hand fell on the floor. God, she was exasperating. She was perfectly aware of what he was trying to say and here she was, throwing his attempts back in his face.

In a fit of anger he snapped his arm up, pointing at her and was almost ready to speak his mind about her nasty personality when he simply sighed and ventured his annoyance on the lifeless bowl.

He went back to his newly acquired job and spoke no more.

Minutes later he was startled when a soft blow caressed his forehead. He looked up only to stare into her way too close quarts like eyes.

When he took in her entire face he couldn't believe how childish she looked with her furrowed eyebrows and troubled lips.

'It burns.'

Even her voice reminded him of a disappointed child. And she was so damn close to him. He closed his eyes and shook her image away. Then, he lowered his head and focused on applying the ointment. She was playing with him. He couldn't believe how easily she was getting under his skin; he parted his lips and started to blow a cold air over her irritated skin. A smirk appeared at the corner of his mouth as he managed to catch from under his lashes her sly and satisfied smile. _Arpia. _(Harpy). Though he doubted she would take it positively if he were to voice that out.

'Why didn't you tell me? Why did you let me accuse you unfairly?'

'It was none of your business.'

'It was my damn business! You know I was involved in all that mess. I could have helped, damn it!'

When he looked up he was angry but he was met by a cold stare.

'You did a lousy job.'

'This isn't about me, Shiva!' He almost yelled.

He was waiting for her to yell back but when she answered, it was not the reaction he had expected.

She looked calmly at him, almost guiltily.

'I know.'

He could fight against a stubborn Shiva, but not against this. He looked back down at her calf.

He swallowed. 'You did all you could.'

She was silent at first.

'I know.'

In her repetitive answer he could read guilt again; blame. He had been stupid to tell her that.

'Shiva, it would have been impossible for you to change things. I know damn well what it feels like. Don't blame yourself for it. Stop blaming yourself for things that don't depend on you.'

'God, you talk too much.'

She started to look at various objects in the room. Instead, he knew she was simply trying to evade the discussion. He knew what she was afraid to talk about. So he chose to look at her until she will give up and look back into his eyes.

'I'll never do it again.'

At those simple words her head snapped at him and she stared down with the most expressive and shocked eyes. With just that he had managed to rip away all her walls and have her completely vulnerable at his will. He hated it; he hated doing this to her but she had to fucking listen to him. He was done playing after her trifles.

'I will never accuse or doubt you again.'

For the longest time she stared at him, then her jaw clenched. For a moment he thought that it also trembled before she spoke again.

'What stupid things are you saying? You don't even know me. Stop being so open with everyone!'

She sounded like a terrified animal caught in a trap. He smiled.

'You're not everyone.'

She swallowed.

'Fine by me – don't trust yourself if that's what you want. I'll do it for you. I want to trust you Shiva, and I will trust you, you like it or not.'

In front of him her eyes grew wider in horror as if he had just told her that he will kill her.

'So if I will ever be one step away from death don't think about running away because from now on I'll trust you with my life.'

In the heavy silence he barely saw her lips parting as if she intended to say something but her voice got stuck at the back of her throat. Her mouth formed a thin, wry line and suddenly her head fell, covering her face with her ash coloured tresses, whilst her shoulders came shaking forward. He instantly panicked.

'You're hurting me.'

Her whisper made his heart stop. He was almost desperate with concern when her head snapped up, her eyes watery.

She threw her arm at his shoulder, trying to push him away.

'My leg! You are gripping too hard.'

Cold water hit him.

He looked down to see that indeed, while being devoted to yell and prove to her his hand had unconsciously tightened around her ankle and gripped a portion of the inflamed skin. Like burnt he took away his hand and in the same time she retreated her leg, up in the bed and covered it with the gown. She was gripping her toes and looking down.

He mentally cursed. How could he be so reckless?

After moments of silence in which Ezio waited for her to give him a sign he finally saw her relax and unsuccessfully tug some of her locks behind the ear. She was feeling uncomfortable because of the loss of control she had over her emotions and it was visible by the way in which she was playing the white material around her fingers.

Ezio was familiar with her explosive mood shifts but he still was taken by surprise when she snapped her head at him and with the narrowed eyes of a spoiled child she made the next request.

'Pick me up.'

He blinked.

'What?'

But then, she averted her eyes and embarrassed nibbled on her lower lip. Whatever she had to say to him it clearly didn't give her any pleasure.

'I need to go to the bath.'

Without realizing his eyebrow arched for an explanation.

'Because of the damn ointment my calf hurts and I can't walk without that stupid pain to take over my entire leg.'

He watched her. She was fretting with displeasure and embarrassment. She was asking for help and she hated it. Even her words seemed pushed with force to come out.

He put the bowl down. He felt the urge to shake her a little longer just to see her hissing and cussing like a cornered fox but he considered how he liked his face only with only one permanent scar.

Before she was even ready he slipped his arms under her and effortlessly got her up. She stubbornly refused to look at him or lock her arms around his neck for security but it seemed that his smirk didn't go unseen.

'Don't try anything funny.'

Ezio rolled his eyes and went to the door. There she opened it with one of her hands and he stepped outside.

'Go to the left to the end of the corridor.'

He followed her instructions and stopped in front of a double door. She once again helped by pushing the handle and the assassin let himself in.

The room was immense and entirely covered in marble. In the middle it was divided by a half wall creating an arcaded entrance towards the other half of the room where the washing basin was. He made his way to it and once there Shiva tensed trying to get down.

He gently lowered his arms.

'Do you need help?'

She simply shook her head and he watched as she secured herself on her right leg, keeping the other above the ground.

With her back at him she pushed the gown down her arms. His first thought was to turn around but before he could actually send his body into motion his eyes followed the material down her back. Now that the material was hanging on her hips he froze at the sight of her middle back full of scars and horrible stigmas on her arms. And what disturbed him was the fact that some were old permanent marks. His eyes caught sight of a scar on the right side of her back. That scar he knew; the arrow that had hit her during her escape from Silviani, in Florence.

He brought his hand up and touched the mark.

At first her body tensed but she looked over her shoulder and realized what was going through his mind.

'For this one I guess I am guilty also.'

She turned from her torso and pointed at an identical scar near her belly.

'Did you know it actually went through? I had to break the arrow in two to get it out.'

He frowned at her proud voice and at the fact that now she was almost naked, half turned towards him. She was incredulously ignorant at the situation. He watched her hair falling over her shoulders and covering her small round breasts. A sudden hot wave aroused inside and passed over his entire body. How could she be that simpleminded and naïve? He felt an unexpected and ardent urge to trace those locks with his hand and split the hair apart to tickle the perky nipples. He closed his eyes and turned his head to one side shaking the stupid situation out of his mind.

'You're sure you don't need anything?'

He was determined to keep looking the other way but her voice involuntarily made him glance back.

'Yes.'

She let the gown fall a little more down her hips and in a fluent move she sat on the edge of the basin and lifted her legs above, pivoting inside, the gown discarded on the floor.

He found the image terribly strange; how she moved with elegance, something that Shiva would rarely show. But even so it felt natural and fitting. Realizing that it was for his own good not to think about it anymore he turned around and made his way to the other side of the bathroom to leave. He heard the sound of her body moving in the water.

'Why are you here?'

He stopped and gazed at the marbled floor. Her voice was serious and there was a sensation of heaviness behind her words. She was finally ready to listen and done evading the grave circumstances of their liaison. He looked to his right to a chair engraved with French motifs. On it were a couple of towels and a silky bathrobe.

He decided to leave them there so he took a seat on the floor, facing the entrance and resting his back on the dividing wall.

For a couple of moments he looked at his hands, considering how to answer her.

'Because I made a mistake.'

She didn't answer. He simply listened to the sound of water and took in a faint fragrance of orchids and lilies of the valley.

'I heard of the incident between you and Antonio's men. And when I saw you standing there, letting Grimaldi escape and your hands covered in blood… I became so furious that I haven't even tried to find any other explanation other than…' He couldn't bring himself to voice the word betrayal. 'I shouldn't have left you there.'

His answer was followed by silence.

'And what does any of this have to do with me? I don't see any reason why you should come seeking me.'

He frowned. Normally he would have found himself annoyed by her but this time it worried him how sincere the question had actually been. Was he the only one considering them more than simple people that bumped on eachother on the road?

'Maybe it doesn't. But I was worried.'

The noises she was making while washing herself ceased for a time.

'They told me how bad you were injured and I felt like I was responsible for it. I needed to know that you were ok or I would have never been able to forgive it to myself. I don't care if you are taking lightly my words or if you are just trying to blind yourself to them but at least grow some sense and realize that you can't do everything on your own; that sometimes you have to let people help you; if not for you, at least for those that care for you. People like Leonardo. You have no idea what he had to go through that night. When he opened the door I saw him dreadfully livid. He was exhausted and his hands were trembling, covered in your blood. He was in an exasperated need for help still, because you asked, he refused it and didn't give up on you. He did all that was in his power knowing that at any time you could die on him. You know how Leonardo is. He's not made for dangerous situation or work under pressure. He wouldn't have had to go through that if you had trusted me with your problems to begin with.'

When she refused to talk to him he let his head fall backwards, defeated. He wasn't going to talk for the walls either. From there he closed his eyes and relaxed listening to the sound of the water.

'I know I am an ungrateful person; and hypocrite.'

He opened his eyes and arched his head up.

'That's now what I meant.' Damn, this was going in all the wrong directions. 'But now that you mentioned it… you are a little of both.'

A wet fabric flew through the opening and landed on the floor splashing around.

'_Trou du cul!' _( Asshole!)

Ezio laughed. Shiva would always curse in French when angered.

From there she continued to bathe in silence and he breathed in the overwhelming odors by which the room was now inundated.

Minutes have passed in that calm silence where the only sounds were made by the water. Ezio thought he could fall asleep just like that.

'Accepting people's help means opening to them. I am long done accepting people… carrying for them...' Ezio half parted his heavy eyelids.

He heard a bitter chuckle.

'It's like this curse I can't run away from.' She stopped once again and the sound of water tricking from her body back into the basin took place of her words. He felt it. He felt how hard was for her to talk. It was hard for her to admit that she was vulnerable and be sincere about herself. He also felt that this will be the last time she'll ever let her feelings talk over her mind and he dared not to speak or even breathe too loud afraid that the spell would break.

'I'm always too late.'

It was a simple sentence but the sorrow in it pained him. He turned his head to his left and glanced past the wall. She was sitting in the basin, knees to her chest and arms around her legs. Her head was down. It reminded him of her image at the villa's training ground but this time it felt thousands times more tragic with her wet hair clung to her fair skin. He turned his head back. He couldn't stand it – the sight of tears on her cheeks. He couldn't watch it because there was nothing that he could do about it. If he would push further she would panic and react violently. The best he could do for her was to wait and listen. Like their last night in Monterigioni. It was like a feeling of _déjà vu._

There was a heart rending sob. He wished the tears had been just his imagination but he couldn't pretend anymore.

'After my father's death I gave up. It was better to have no expectations. No one to care about meant no more hurting and no more disappointments. And eventually… I got used living like that. But…'

Her voice trembled and she tried to suppress it with an aching laugh.

'… I was tricked out of that self-created peace.' He crushed his feet on the marble making sure that he wasn't going to jump up and go to her. An agonising foreboding put a knot in his throat. It was something in her voice that made him want to stop her, to protect his ears from her confession or to erase it from his mind. He had no fucking idea why he was feeling that way and it disturbed and disgusted him in the same time.

'I was a fool. I knew perfectly well that whatever I would do… I will always be late, still…' there was a loud splash but it did no good in covering her sobs 'I was fooled by your brother…. for an instant….I guess that was a moment when he made me believe differently. And then, like all the others...he was suddenly gone.'

There was a long heavy sigh. She unclenched her arm and strengthened backwards, resting her head on the wall of the basin.

'I do feel some rancour for him, you know? He was set to do something… he promised... but half way Federico… vanished.'

He hit his head on the wall. He didn't need to hear this. He would do any kind of things for her and even greater things for his brother but he would have paid the world not to have to listen to their story. It enraged him to no end. It was all because of the tragedy in it. It had to be. What else could be more unsettling than to feel like a third part of something made of halves? If he could he would do things better. But their salvation was out of his reach.

'What are you going to do next?'

It was a short period of silence before he heard her voice, calm and in control again.

'Fully recover. And then…. who knows what will catch my eyes.'

'I meant about the murderers.'

'That's not my job, Ezio.'

He wondered if she had ever spoken his name before.

'And neither is revenge. You're in this alone. You are the Assassin.'

He considered her words and had no idea of what to say.

'So… is this goodbye?'

'I don't do goodbyes.'

He wanted to roll his eyes when his mind processed the way in which she answered. He smirked; it would have been unlike him to let it pass. He wondered what she did instead.

'Wipe that smirk.'

He frowned and turned a little to glance at her. It was impossible for her to know.

'How did you -?'

Her eyes were closed.

'You're easy to read.'

'I'm not.'

'Kid.'

He snickered.

'I can't let you go.'

He heard her sudden move. She had probably jumped at his words.

'What?'

He started to laugh. Actually the more he was processing the words that left his mouth the more powerful his laughs were becoming. The only thing that he knew was that he wanted to keep that _'we' _alive even if just for a while. He wanted to see her back on her feet, alive and kicking. Then he could move on.

'What is so funny?'

She sounded both annoyed and curious because of his outburst.

'_Nulla. _(Nothing.) I simply decided that I can't let you go.'

He was trying to control his laughs.

She sighed frustrated.

'Let me hire you again.'

'No.'

'Why not? You didn't even let me finish.'

'I've dedicated you enough of my time.'

'Has anyone told you you're capable of the most charming words?'

'You know what I mean.'

Her voice was cold and threatening.

Of course he knew. It meant that she had stayed too much in one place, that she felt that it was time to go. It also meant that she was now scared of him; scared of comfort.

'I need one more codex page. The last one. I need you one more time. I promise. And I'll pay you well.'

She sighed.

'Do you ever listen to others?'

He heard her move in the water.

'Name a price.'

There was no answer.

'Come on, you can't back down. I am sincere in telling you that I really need that codex page and it would help a lot to have someone to look for it while I get rid of Marco Barbarigo.'

He sighed. A world of any kind would have helped.

A drop of water fell on his knee. From where the hell did that –

He turned his head to the left and jumped in shock at the sight of Shiva's completely naked and wet body almost towering over him.

'Dear god!' He yelled and slipped to his right, almost falling flat on the floor. He snapped his head to his right and even after he had closed his eyes he was still covering them with his left hand.

'What the hell is on your mind, woman?' He felt his ears burning and he couldn't believe that he, of all the men, was probably red with embarrassment. But on this occasion he had every right to. It's not like everyday to look up and be eyelevel with a woman's groin.

'You're acting like a prepubescent boy.'

'What on earth is wrong with you? Put something on.' He was in such a shock that he couldn't control the level of his yelling.

In the same time she sighed bored.

'I can't. You are in the way.'

He half opened one of his eyes and more out of instinct stretched his arm after the chair, grabbing the bathrobe and throwing it at her. He still couldn't get the image of her middle out of his head.

'It's not as if you have never seen a woman's body before.'

'That's not what it is about, damn it!'

He waited until the sounds of her dressing stopped before he actually allowed himself to open the eyes and look up at her.

It still made him no good even if the robe covered her from shoulders to toes. Her hair was heavy with water and the tangled way in which it was falling down was nothing but arousing.

'When will you understand that you can't expose yourself in front of a man?!' He was revolted, he was angry, he was recovering from a shock, he was…. still red.

She grabbed her hair and twisting it, she squeezed water out of it on the marbled floor.

'Whatever. It's simply a body, not a disgusting thing so stop yelling like that.'

He was shocked and looking up at her face he realized she was angry. He needed to slap himself. How could such a brilliant mind be so slow and understand his worlds totally opposite?

'You don't get it! A man would get aroused by a woman's naked body even if she was dead ugly.'

She glared down at him.

'Thank you.'

_Cazzo. _(Damn it!) Why did she have to take that personally?

'Lucky you, you have many options so you won't have the need to think of me that way.'

What on earth was she aiming at? Why couldn't she understand?

'I am a man, Shiva!'

'Well then lucky me, my body reminds you of an undeveloped boy. So I don't think any of us should worry about it.'

With that she slowly made her way to the door.

He sighed and looked down. He didn't know about her but he, for sure, had all the reasons to worry in his pants.

Ezio got up and went after her in the doorway. In her walk was a faint limp and she was occasionally searching for support. He caught up with her and locked her left arm around his.

Instead of a reaction she continued to walk.

'My leg cooled off a little but it's still bothersome.'

He helped her to the room he had taken her from. They stopped in front of the door.

Ezio looked for her eyes.

'About my offer...'

But she stopped him with a sharp glare.

'I'll think about it. That's all you'll get.'

He nodded and when she opened the door he let go of her arm.

She stood there, glaring at the floor. Uncomfortable, the woman licked her lips.

'Thank you.' It was out in a single exhale, no louder than a whisper.

'No problem.'

She looked up, confused and ready to say something but at the sight of his grinning face she stopped. She simply nodded. He understood her words. He knew it had nothing to do with walking her here but he also read her body language and he didn't want to make her feel weak or in debt with him. The simple fact that she thanked him was enough to make him understand that he had made the right choice by coming here.

She shared the same smile with him and slipped inside.

Ezio walked from the door and down the stairs. There, at the base, _Madame_ was looking straight at him, with his mask in her hands as if she had been waiting for him.

Reaching her he shook his head and took the mask.

The sly smile she had been wearing eves since he met her was still there.

'_Merci beaucoup, Madame.' _(Thank you Madame)

'You're welcomed.'

They started to make their way back through the rooms towards the main door.

'I believe it went well by the yelling my girls heard coming from the bathroom.'

His cheeks went again red at her amused tone.

'The best it can get with Shiva, I believe.'

The woman laughed.

'Indeed. Hmm, you are a fast learner, _Monsieur_ Ezio.'

He snorted at her malicious but sincere voice.

Once they reached their destination Ezio opened the door and stepped outside in the chilly night of _Venezia_.

He bowed and kissed her hand but before he could bid his farewell the woman brought one finger in the air.

'I like you very much child but I feel compelled to warn you.'

Her eyes suddenly became hard and there was no trace of amusement or trick in them.

'For your own good and for hers who is dearer to me than my own life, don't you fall in love with her if you don't have the means and power to keep her next to you.'

A cold chill passed through his bones as her words sunk into him like sharp knives.

But in an instant her entire expression changed and she was once again the charming and imposing woman.

She smiled.

'Come back whenever you wish; you made quite an impression on my girls.'

But her words passer right through him. He nodded and turned, an uncomfortable feeling taking over his mind.

In the doorway the woman smirked as she watched the Assassin walk away.

From behind the door another woman appeared and side glanced at her before throwing a look after the man that had vanished in the night.

'You were cruel.'

The elegant woman grinned and closed the door.

'How so, Aurore?'

They made their way through the girls and their clients.

'That boy; he was clearly tormented by Shiva's presence in his life. Why did you have to bring that up?'

'I was merely helping him to make a decision. Shiva is already present in his heart. His feelings are troubling him. Everything I did was to point that out. Now that he will become mentally aware of his situation he'll have to make a decision.'

'You're playing with people's minds.'

The woman sighed and for an instant her smile was transformed under the pressure of a heavy thought.

'If there was a chance of a man to reach for Shiva and make her stay by their side I wouldn't mind that someone to be him.'

They continued in silence.

'But you know how difficult Shiva is.' The voice was as low as a whisper. 'What if...what if he becomes that for Shiva but he won't be able to pick up her twisted signs? What would happen then?'

The woman sighed trying to discard the fear that was coming from her apprentice.

'Then – it means that I've just grotesquely destroyed them and their chance at ever being happy.'

The subject was too heavy and Aurore was feeling guilty for tormenting her master like that.

'Shiva will resent you forever.'

The woman stopped and huffed amused.

'I have a feeling she already is.'

The girl followed confused the direction in which _Madame _was looking.

In the other side of the room, at the base of the staircase a menacing Shiva was standing tall, in her red bathrobe, waiting for the owner of the brothel.

Whilst Aurore grimaced in dread expectation the elder woman smiled charmingly.

'I guess she didn't take well her visit. Pease tell the girls to get their clients to other rooms. We don't want to get them involved in any ..fervent conversation.'


	18. Déranger Les Pierres

**a.n**.:Thank you for the great comments guys! You are like a mine of gold. ;)) And now, after a long period of silence and exams (T_T) I am able yet again to come up with another chapter. The title this time is in French and it comes from the song with the same name and it means 'Disturb the stones'. It comes hand in hand with the lyrics. Take them and give them meaning as you please ;)) Have a nice read darlings!

* * *

_**Capitolo Diciotto**_

* * *

_"Et je veux déranger les pierres_  
_Changer le visage de mes nuits_  
_Faire la peau à ton mystère_  
_Et le temps : j'en fais mon affaire"_

* * *

Ezio left Sister Teodora's brothel somewhere after midnight. It had been a hard thing to do when the bed was such a warm and comfortable nest and porcelain arms were lazily placed over his torso. But unfortunately he had to be somewhere else.

He passed by some drunk men trying to pick one another from the ground – _Carnavale _had its low points too. Nevertheless, it was unusually quiet for a carnival night and it would have been awkward to be otherwise when their recently entitled doge had been killed not hours ago. Lots of things had happened but he was trying to concentrate on the outcomes of his meeting. Among the events that he was desperately trying to avoid thinking of, was his encounter with Cristina. He had been selfish not to take in consideration the suffering he would cause her. He let his desire get the best of him and hurt her. Just because he was still a prisoner of his past he didn't have to lug her through the same misery. She was right; for years now he had stopped being part of her life. He had no right to come back whenever he pleased like a ghost of her past and take away her peace. He just wondered if it was too much to ask for a little comfort from time to time.

He approached the walls of the _Campanile _from behind trying to stay out of the lights illuminating _Piazza di San Marco_ and out of the guards' eyesight. As he disappeared into the shadows of the nearby constructions he might have cheated in locating the now gold glowing cape. He smirked and went directly at it. During the evening he had caught sight of Shiva numerous times around _Venezia_. At first he considered that he might have been seeing things, that she wasn't in a real condition of hunting the streets but when he found a piece of paper among his collected ribbons signed by her and telling him when and where to meet he considered how he should trust his instincts more.

She had her back against a wall, arms crossed and head down.

He took the liberty of invading her personal space towering over her.

'Fox escaped her cage?'

He might have been a little mean but after the visit at the _Maison du Sphinx_ it hadn't been hard for Ezio to figure that Shiva had no chance of doing something without _Madame's _approval. He felt deep respect for the woman and considered how being in her good grace would work in his advantage.

She had long felt his presence but until now she had not found a reason good enough to acknowledge it. That is why at his words her head snapped up and from under the cape she sent him one of her most tart glares.

'I don't know what the hell you did but because of you I am barely allowed to leave that damn place without someone breathing in the back of my neck as if I were a retarded sprog!'

He frowned in confusion.

'I am currently debating if I should continue with this stupid play or stab you countless times. So trying to be smart is not your best choice at the moment.'

She snarled in his face so close that he felt her short hot breath with each of the words. But he was rather tired and already used to her charming personality; so his only reaction was to bring up his hands and pull off her hood.

Now he had full access to her threatening eyes and grimaced lips. He considered how under other condition he would have loved to be anywhere than at the end of her current glares but for some reason his entire attention was focused on that lovely mole. He should keep his comments to himself and stop provoking her but temptation had always been his enemy.

'Ah, there; now that I have your gorgon-like face to match with that angry voice I am almost touched.'

It was strange how familiar and natural their interaction felt to him. Even if they were sharing their personal space, even if she must have had her heels brushing the ground to be eyelevel with him and even if his hands were still at the base of her neck there was nothing but comfort.

'Don't push your luck. Just because accepting your stupid deal was the only way to breathe fresh air, it doesn't make the voice in the back of my mind stop from yelling ways of breaking your ugly skull.'

She was angry; actually she was fuming with anger.

Against his best judgment Ezio smiled. His hands went down her arms and under them, his arms encircling around her body and pulling her into a firm hug.

He let his head lean on hers. His eyes closed.

Ezio felt her body tense and wondered if she was starting to panic.

But that was not the case as her voice was still keeping reminiscences of her former anger.

'What on earth is wrong with you?'

He didn't bother to open his eyes.

'Will you just shut up for a second, woman?'

Unseen to her he smiled again. It was funny how he had just said that to someone who most of the time was as silent as a statue.

Then his smile faded. No, after that evening he didn't feel like smiling. Maybe it was childish of him and maybe he had no reasons and no right to try and act childish anymore.

Involuntary his arms tightened and in the back of his head he contemplated how he could encircle her thin body with only one arm.

Yes, he knew that he was childish and he should stop the self-pity because there was no time for that on the road he had to travel.

That was when her arms clumsily moved upwards and unsurely she wrapped them around him.

His eyes snapped open and narrowed worryingly. After a couple of seconds of that awkward silence he felt her relax under him and her hands grip his shirt. She let her head rest on his shoulder.

As if she was answering to his thoughts her fingers tugged at the material.

The silence they shared wasn't uncomfortable anymore.

She breathed out and shifted her weight on one of her feet.

'She was pretty.'

He huffed half in easiness half in annoyance. With her walking around Venice chances to keep secrets were slim.

What took him aback was the fact that she had felt the cause of his unusual behaviour.

Slowly, as if concerned not to trouble him she detached herself and brought her hood back up.

She took some steps behind and grabbing him by the sleeve she pulled him after her.

'Come on. I'll try to humour you.'

He followed, making her drop the grip.

'Where are we going?'

'To find out where that codex page is.'

They continued to walk in silence. Two things crossed Ezio's mind. One of them being the realization that he had actually made her listen to him. The other thing was that she was still careful in her walk and still not as fluent and agile as she used to be. Her foot was probably still hurting.

'How come you accepted my offer?'

'I told you - taking it was the only way I could get outside.' She stopped but it felt as if she was just trying not to finish the sentence. 'without having to wear unpractical clothes.'

Ezio laughed.

'By any chance do dressed fall under the 'unpractical' category?'

She sneered.

'Why don't you try climbing walls wearing a dress?'

At that he made a smart face.

'You know…. If _Madame_ was forcing a dress on you it might have had other meanings than… wearing a dress. And I guess it had something to do with keeping you on ground.'

When she didn't answer he knew that she was probably rolling her eyes or expressing her annoyance some other way.

He decided to let the subject drop even if it was amusing to see her losing an argument.

It didn't take them long to reach a narrow alley with music and laughers emerging from a garden of a house. At the entrance two imposing but shady men were talking to each other. As they made their way to the garden Ezio eyed them a little skeptic.

'What exactly are we looking for?'

'Information.'

'Here?'

He arched a questioning eyebrow.

'This, _mon chere_ (my dear) ignorant and guilty by association _ami _(friend), is one of the most resourceful nest of information that Venetia has to offer.'

She went inside past the two guys who for a moment stopped to nod her way before throwing him a scrutinising glare and return to their previous discussion. He caught one of them putting a pouch of money in one of his pockets. He stepped inside after her, now knowing that he had been right in presuming that they were more than simple chatting men. They were there to restrict access; and by the look of it Shiva was not a new 'face' around here.

He was about to wonder what was this place when he felt a knot in his throat at the sight ahead of him. In the darkness of the garden men were clearly engaged in some… intimate activities. He thanked heaven for the darkness but his eyes weren't spared the images in the lightened doorway where a short, chubby, bearded man was slipping his hands under the short toga of a boy that barely seemed to have 15 years.

It took him a couple of seconds to realize where he was.

'You took me to a brothel?'

The woman continued to make her way to the door leaving him no other chance than to follow.

'It's not like you haven't been in one before.' There was amusement in her voice which Ezio didn't appreciate.

'Male brothel.'

'You say it like it is a bad thing.'

He rolled his eyes and stuck closer to her so the he could whisper.

'I call it sodomy.'

She snorted.

'Ha, great friend you are.'

'What do you mean?'

But instead of answering she seemed to change the subject.

'Don't stare.'

'What?'

As if the two men were not there she slipped inside past them. Ezio tried to pretend them away but as he got inside he couldn't resist not throwing a glance their way. What he didn't expect was for the boy to hold his gaze. Those young blue eyes made his heart stop as they pierced through his soul. He felt bewitched how his young, innocent face and angelic curls were contrasting with the lustful fire in his eyes as the order man was delivering kisses down his fragile neck. Then he saw one slim arm reach for his face and tracing down, the long fingers went under his chin and started to pull towards him, those blue pools dancing with desire. Ezio eyes grew wide in realization and his heart was beating so hard that he couldn't react. That's when a forceful tug jerked him backwards, and the image of the boy was replaced with Shiva's back as she pulled him down the corridor.

'I told you not to stare.'

Ezio looked back and then turned at the cape.

'Did you see that?'

'See what?'

She sounded bored and unimpressed.

'That! The boy! That boy - I bet he doesn't even know how to read properly and the things that man he was doing to him…'

He realized that his voice had been a little too high as they were receiving various glared from the men on the corridor.

'Why are you freaking out?'

He narrowed his eyes and hissed embarrassed.

'I am not freaking out.'

She didn't give him any answer but it wasn't like there was a need of one.

'Yet you were so mortified that I bet that you even forgot how to breathe.'

Of course, being Shiva it was natural to make him feel miserable with any chance given.

They reached a large room less illuminated than the corridor but unfortunately not dark enough to hide its activities from Ezio's eyes.

Shiva stopped some feet away from the door and seemed to look for someone. Whatever this was about, Ezio was wishing for it to end soon.

'Stay here.'

'What? No!' So maybe he protested too quickly but he didn't feel like being on his own in this kind of place. Actually, from his experience with _normal _brothels as long you had someone with you, you were left alone and he clearly didn't want to give the impression of 'available' at this precise moment.

'Don't be stupid. I can't afford rising suspicions if there is someone else listening. Now be a good boy and I am sure you'll handle it.'

She stepped away before he had the chance to pull her back. Suddenly she stopped and turned around.

'Oh, and don't say anything out of place.'

With that she made her way to a circle of armchairs and sofas.

Ezio glared at her form.

'What exactly would you call out of place?'

He growled. If he didn't know better he would have thought none of it had been accidentally and Shiva was taking pleasure in dragging him here and submitting him to all of this. She did begin their meeting by declaring her utter hatred for him.

Ezio looked around and tried not to gulp at the various looks he was receiving. He knew what image he was creating standing there in a central spot of the room. He turned around and leaned his back on the wall near the entrance, crossing his arms and hiding his face under the hood hoping that people will get the message.

With his head down he gazed from under the hood at Shiva. She had taken one of the seats and was currently talking with a man he couldn't see from his position. He stopped his urge to scoff.

Some young men occasionally passed him by but he pretended not to notice them. It was all working well until someone blocked Shiva out of his view. Not having what else to do he looked up to see a young man probably 15 or 16 standing in front of him. He was relatively tall and his body was rather androgynous with long brown hair falling down his shoulder. He reminded him of Salai.

'Look boy, I – '

'My master asks if you want to join our table.'

He smiled slyly and pointed at a table on the other side of the room. There, on one sofa, with his head on the lap of another young boy, a noble, dressed in fine cloths which were probably too fancy for his age, was eyeing him. Ezio felt shivers going down his spine as he stared at the ugly mole he had on his left cheek. He closed his eyes and tried to wash away that image with one of Shiva's lips and mole. He considered how ungrateful he had been not to appreciate it more.

He opened his eyes and looked at the boy.

'Tell your master that I am already waiting for someone.'

That wasn't out of place, was it? He was partially telling the truth and not insulting anyone in the same time.

At that the boy narrowed his eyes in confusion then something sparkled in his eyes and he actually laughed.

'Oh, your interest lay on the other side.'

Now it was Ezio's turn to mirror the boy's initial confusion. The boy suddenly got closer; terribly closer so that he whispered directly in his ear.

'But I wouldn't tell him that if I don't want to cause her problems.'

At the words he tensed.

'How do you know Sh-'

He was silenced by a finger on his lips.

'Shhh…it would be best if we wouldn't use her name…' Ezio felt his jaw clench when the boy delivered a kiss on his ear and then looked into his eyes. The boy was smiling like a little devil.

When he was about to snap his hand away and pull some serious distance between them a voice interrupted his actions.

'Oh, it looks like you already made a friend; and here I was worrying for nothing.' Shiva was now standing next to them.

Ezio couldn't describe the embarrassment he was dealing with as he felt the blood pulsing through his face. He detached himself from the wall and followed her down the corridor.

He swallowed.

'Did you find out anything?'

He might as well have cursed her because his question didn't sound any different.

'Yes. I know who has your last codex page, but I have some mixed news for you.'

He narrowed his eyes and looked back. The boy from earlier was right behind them.

'Why is he following us?'

Making her way through the entrance, no longer occupied by the two men, she spun at him in her walk.

'Don't be rude!'

He looked at the boy a little panicked even if he wasn't ready to admit.

'What are the news?'

He tried to sound as normal as he could.

'The bad part is that the owner is a paranoid old noble who has his own guard troop and his house is heavily guarded all the time.'

Ezio raised an eyebrow as they reached the exit to the alley.

'And the good part?' He didn't know why but he felt rather skeptic about it.

After some more steps outside the garden, where the two watchmen couldn't hear nor see them in the dark anymore she stopped and waited until the young boy caught up with them.

Ezio eyed him unsure, ready to ask him what he wanted. He didn't have anything personal against the boy but he had already gone through hell with regard to his sexuality because of Shiva years ago.

'The good part' she paused 'is that you just met the man tonight and dare I say he took a liking in you.'

Those words rang in Ezio's head like metal and all his anger towards the boy had vanished. Only one image was playing in his mind – that greasy old noble with the ugly mole.

'You have to be joking!'

He was eyeing Shiva with incredulous eyes and he didn't know which he should feel first: disgusted by her sick joke or terrified at the fact that she was right.

She looked at him in a puzzled way.

'How is that a good thing?'

The cape shrugged.

'Well, I always thought it's in your advantage to know about your enemy's guilty pleasures.'

His eyes narrowed murderously.

'I am not a guilty pleasure.'

She seemed to say something, and then stopped. For some seconds the cape stared at him then a shiver took over her body.

'Yeah, you're right. I have to agree with you on this one.'

Stoically, he sighed.

'Would it burn your tongue to stop, at least for once, from insulting people?'

That's when he realized something was strange. When he turned from Shiva he remembered that they were not alone, and now, the boy was watching them with attentive eyes and the largest grin on his lips.

Not fazed by the questioning look he was receiving, the boy stepped towards Shiva.

The woman nodded at him.

'You could actually make use of that information.'

Ezio's glare darkened. What was wrong with this boy?

'Go on.'

The boy threw Ezio a wicked look.

'This noble, Mancini, my current client, is throwing a party tomorrow night at his _Palazzo_.' He made a pause and nodded towards Ezio. 'If it's for him I can easily get you an invitation.'

It might have been just a play of shadows but Ezio was sure that the boy's lips curved up in mocking innocence.

What sent Ezio in an offensive stance was Shiva's long 'hmmmmmn' that followed.

'No. No way I am going in there.'

Shiva sighed and pretended not to hear him.

'Get the invitation anyway; if we don't find another way it's better to have a second plan. Can you bring it to _Madame_ by tomorrow?'

'Of course.'

The boy smiled and once again he looked at Ezio with that mysterious smile. He swore that as angelic as it looked the boy might as well be the devil itself. Why pretty boys had to share that common trait of naïve superiority he didn't know.

It was a moment of silence, as if the conversation was over when Shiva spoke again.

'How are you doing, Vincenzo?'

'You know; same old stories, same old drama. The time of _Carnavale _is always irksome.'

Ezio looked with interest how the timbre of her voice completely changed from the usual distant and uncaring holding. For Ezio, this part of Shiva was completely new.

She chuckled and the boy went near her. Shiva brought a gloved hand up and passed it through his smooth, well-kept hair.

'When did you get this tall?'

'I am a growing man. You know, one day I'll have to look down when talking to you.'

'Don't get smart with me, you git!'

'You rarely came to visit lately.'

The boy extended his arms and took her hood off.

She raised one of her natural arched eyebrows. But the pause on her voice told Ezio that whoever this boy was he was unaware of what had happened to her. She was hiding it with excuses.

'I don't _visit _if I don't need you to find information.' There was a teasing smirk on her face. 'You sound terribly miserable.'

The boy grinned foxily.

'Are you taking good care of yourself?'

The smile on his face grew slyly. 'Why would I when I have so many in line to do that for me?'

The woman rolled her eyes.

'Maybe you should settle down, _oiseau.'_

'And miss all the fun while I am still young? No, thank you.'

Shiva eyed him dissuasively but there was a large smile on her lips.

'But when you'll settle down maybe I'll come to live with you.'

She grinned and ruffled his hair with her hand. 'Then you should start learning a real _métier_ to practice for when you'll grow old and alone.'

They both shared a smile before Shiva nodded.

'Ok, kid. Do your best on the task and take care…' her voice dropped and was now stern, stressing her word '…seriously.'

The boy whose name Ezio had learned to be Vincenzo smiled a simple and honest smile.

When Shiva prepared for the leaving he put both his hands on her shoulders and, getting on his toes he kissed her softly on her lips.

His voice was as low as a whisper but still clear.

'You too.'

When he retreated he winked at Ezio and slapped his way a smile that read victory.

Fine. It was settled; Ezio did not like the boy one bit.

Shiva didn't react and with a glance she told Ezio that it was time to leave.

They went down the alley, to its end and from there down the narrow road along a canal.

He side-glanced at her before clearing his throat.

'I didn't know you were into little boys.'

When the burst went out he realized it sounded like a poignant insult but it was already too late to take it back.

He was sure that she felt it too but for some reason she decided not to act on it.

'He's 16.' From one of the balcony they heard a woman yelling at her husband. 'And he is homosexual.'

Ezio continued in silence. What on earth had taken over him to react like that? He remembered how at peace she looked when talking to the boy.

'That was new. Seeing you... with him…'

She rolled her eyes.

'If you are going to continue with the –'

'No, no! Wait! That's not what I mean. Well yes, I was planning on mocking you but it was over the fact that while you were there, talking to the boy, you looked almost….human.'

She stopped and turned to stare at him, not amused at all by his sense of humour.

Ezio laughed.

'Oh come on, you always look obstinate. There….'

His voice died as he was realizing that his words weren't getting any reaction out of her besides that discontent look.

He sighed.

'You know what? I take back my words.'

He started to walk again leaving behind a confused Shiva. Soon her soft steps were heard.

'What words?'

'About you being a horrible mother, as I thought in Monteriggioni.'

Suddenly there was a powerful force pulling him back, crushing his lungs with the belt of his cape.

When he hopped backwards she was still holding his cape but was now throwing daggers through her eyes.

'I may not be able to run or climb yet but I can still find thousands of ways of making you suffer.'

He bit his lip, concentrating more on unclenching her hand off his cape than actually listening to her threats.

'I was just saying…' _Two fingers down, three more to go. _'... that you seemed like you genuinely cared about that boy; that he doesn't look like a regular information source.'

He had only two left, and he almost unbolted them when the other three clashed again on the cloth.

_Cazzo! _(_Fuck!)_

'You could have said that without using a mocking tone.'

It was his time to roll his eyes as he started from zero.

'I was not mocking you, I just thought it was cute...' _Was there pressure on the belt again? _'Except for the part where he kissed you; that was twisted.' She pulled her fist and the cape started to pull him over the shoulder again.

'Fine! Fine! I got it! No more mocking! Do you want a compliment?' He counterbalanced with his shoulder and put his hands on her shoulders. 'Here it goes.'

But for the next seconds they were surrounded by silence. He was looking in her eyes and realized that he had no idea of what to say. So maybe he had some ideas, but just to be safe, since crushing the air out of his lungs was bad enough, he shouldn't give her reasons to try something else; so he won't take the chances of angering her even more.

When he caught the sight of her eyelids dangerously drawing he realized that silence wasn't good either. Actually it was very bad. Then his eyes skipped down and narrowed with interest. He remembered the image of the noble with the gross and probably hairy mole and in an instant his face radiated with happiness and realization.

His hands went up and cupped Shiva's cheeks probably too suddenly and two powerfully because she gave a little jump.

'Oh lord, Shiva, have I ever told you how much I adore your mole?' He was sincere. He could stare at it for hours especially after that ugly vision.

She looked at him with the most scared eyes, because of his sudden reaction. But it took her only moments to recover from the shock, and before her feelings had the chance to reach her face, her fist snapped downwards, taking Ezio with it in a bending position. He thought he would have to stop fooling around and pull away not to start coughing from the pain but before he had the chance to grip her hand she let go and stepped away, walking as fast as her legs allowed her.

He rearranged the pauldron and caught up with her.

'Why did you get mad –'

But as soon as he started to speak, making his presence known, her hands skipped to her hood to quickly pull it back over her head.

'Wha-'

'Shut up.'

After her one-breath hiss he continued to look at her, an enormous smile slowly appearing on his face.

'Don't tell me all that thing from earlier actually got you flush-'

'Just shut up or I'll cut your tongue!'

She halted for a second to throw that into his face, and then continued along the pavement.

He followed but he couldn't suppress his grin. He was right. Who would have thought?

He kept smiling by her side but said nothing so their walk went silently until she spoke again.

'I found Vincenzo when he was 8. His father was a criminal and the authorities had him beheaded. His mother was hanged the same day.' She stopped, clearly having a hard time tossing away the details. 'He didn't have what one would call a happy childhood. I brought him to Venice and asked _Madame_ to take care of him. I don't know if it was the best choice but I guess it was better than leaving him by the pit where his dead parents had been thrown.'

The assassin kept quiet. He could only imagine the things that Shiva had told him. It had been hard for him, at his age to see part of his family taken away; he was terrified to think of what a boy that young had to go through.

A step behind her, Ezio allowed himself to glance at Shiva without being noticed. It was good to know that she wasn't the heartless person she seems to be. Actually, he was admiring her for her self-control but he also liked the fact that there was a caring part of Shiva.

He chuckled. Yes, lots of things had happened during that night and he realized that she had kept her word: she had managed to distract him – even if that was involving a tip of embarrassment. Actually he was pretty sure that as serious, cold and distant she would seem as an individual, having her around was eliminating any chance of boredom - even if it involved mad chases, pointlessly dangerous situations, senseless arguments and shady individuals. He wondered if her life was always like this.

'I wonder if there is a way in which I could get inside Mancini's _palazzo_ past his guards.'

'No!'

Erase his previous thoughts. He really didn't want to know the answer to that.

'We must get our hands on the codex page somehow, and no offence, but you're not a thief.'

He wanted to say something but she went on.

'And don't ask me to rephrase that, you'll just end up hating me.'

'Regardless – no! It's too risky.'

'Fine! Then you'll go to the party.'

'What? NO! Why do you have to be so difficult? Let me come up with something and I'll solve this my own way.'

'Pfff, as if I'll let you.'

He eyed her in confusion.

'Look! If I go back now at _Le Sphinx_ I am doomed to maddening boredom. In case you didn't get it the first time, your codex page was the only excuse that could get me out of that hell and I don't intend to go back just because you suddenly decided you don't need me anymore.'

'I didn't say t-'

'And don't ever make the mistake of taking me by a simple pawn. You asked me to get that codex page, I will get it.'

She stepped back, ready to move again.

'Consider also not to annoy me further because I might just take it and sell it to someone else.'

She turned around and continued.

Ezio looked at her back and contrary to what he should be doing he huffed a laugh.

'I'll hunt you down to the end of the world for that.'

He was surprised when from ahead she shouted back.

'Be my guest! I bet you don't even have the slightest idea of where that is.'

He frowned in confusion then raised an amused eyebrow.

'And you do?'

'Maybe…'

He laughed softly yet again and shook his head, putting his body into motion.

'Hey, Shiva?'

'What?'

She was pissed alright, but this was going to irk her some more.

'I just wanted you to know that I really like your mole.'


	19. Carnaval of feelings

a.n.: This was supposed to be an entire chapter but because of its great length I had to split it in two, this one being a small part. The next chapter should be posted really soon as well because I was in a rather good mood today (maybe the chocolate festival had something to do with it). Regardless, I would really love to know what you think of it so far. Until next time may this February bring you lots of memorable moments.

Cheers,

Lexa.

* * *

_**Capitolo Diciannove**_

* * *

'No! It's out of the question!'

Shiva sank more into the wooden chair, her arms crossed over her chest.

'I do not approve the idea of you sneaking around Mancini's _palazzo_. It's too risky; I really don't feel like patching you all over again. And you shouldn't either!'

From his spot on the staircase inside the atelier Ezio pinned elbows on his knees and walked his eyes from one revolted Leonardo to the scolded thief. Ever since Shiva presented her plan the artist had been expressing his protest.

He knew all too well what position Leonardo would take in this matter so he was now taking pleasure in watching someone else having to deal with Shiva.

'And think of it! I saw that man's palazzo when he wanted to order a painting and if I learned anything about him is that he's a swellhead. He will probably have all his values exposed for his guests to admire. You will not have shadows in which to hide.'

Leonardo was too absorbed in his speech but Ezio saw it happen right there, before anyone could have the chance to blink. His friend's words had triggered something in that woman's mind and he wasn't sure that he was going to like it.

'Not to mention that with his own guards at his disposition he won't wait for the city law to make him justice.'

'You mean they'll be in plain sight?'

'_Prego?' _(What?)

Shiva straightened in her chair, confident and Ezio swore he saw her thoughts sparking up behind her eyes.

'Of course he would!' But her eureka moment was more to herself and Ezio made a mental note to try to teach her out of that habit.

'I am not quite following, Shiva.'

The assassin threw an amused look at his friend. It wasn't as if the artist was any better than her when he was having his moments.

'Ezio, you must go to the party!' It wasn't a revelation, it wasn't a pleading nor a statement; it was an order.

The man got up as if burnt.

'Hell no!' He strode down the stairs. 'There is no way I am going to go there alone!'

Shiva pushed herself up and rolled her eyes dramatically.

'Would you stop with that? It's not like he is going to hit on you or touch you in middle of the event. He has a wife and an image to keep!'

While the two were continuing their old disagreement the artist underpinned his chin on one of his hands and was now biting on a nail, lost in his own thoughts.

'And what do you expect me to do? Go there and ask nicely for the codex page? Or grab it and run my way out?'

Shiva's eyes grew wide and she brought a hand to her ear.

'What is that that I hear? The great assassin finally admits that there are things that he can't do on his own?'

'Oh please!'

It was then when Leonardo's face beamed with a sudden discovery.

'But that's it!'

'Leonardo! You can't possibly side with her on this one!'

The artist threw him a second of confusion then dismissed him with a hand gesture.

'What? No! Don't get me involved in your immature fights. I was talking about a solution to both of your problems.'

Shiva raised an eyebrow and Ezio waited for him to continue.

'You don't want to go alone to that party, for god knows what reasons, whilst it is also true that you can't actually do anything about the codex with so many eyes around – no insult intended - and Shiva, with what I have in mind you will be able to get as close as you want to the codex.'

At that possibility Shiva's interest grew considerably.

'And what exactly is that?'

It was as if the artist had been waiting for the question because his face lightened with delight even more if it was possible. But instead of answering to Shiva he looked at the assassin.

'Ezio, do you remember that royal blue? From Florence?'

Without waiting for a replay he turned around and ran in excitement up the stairs to the upper level.

Shiva approached Ezio at the base of the staircase.

'What royal blue?'

But the assassin answered her with a shrug and the same expression of confusion.

They stood there, in silence, watching with great concern the entrance through which their common friend had disappeared.

Not long after, Leonardo came back carrying a large box.

'Umm… Leonardo?'

'Ezio will not go alone because you'll go with him.'

The two exchanged a troubled look then stared at Leonardo as if he was an unidentified creature.

'What other better way of getting you inside with the freedom of walking around without raising suspicions?'

Shiva opened her mouth but stopped, narrowed her eyes and watched Leonardo unfastening the ribbon that was keeping the box closed.

She gasped, ideas of what the box might contain forming in her head, and brought a pointing hand up in the air, ready to voice her revolt. That's when with a sharp movement Ezio caught her by the wrist and shook his head still not losing the box out of his sight.

Shiva looked at the man near her then back at Leonardo.

'If by any chance in that box is a dress I will remind you of the same thing that _Madame _had to hear: it's my body that took the damage, not my brain so stop it because you can't trick me into wearing a dreaaa - _Oh, mon Dieu!'_

Suddenly there was a tight grip on Ezio's hand as Shiva's had clenched to his fingers.

Leonardo had thrown the lid away and was now holding out in front of them a rich dress.

As if pulled by a force the woman went to him and Leonardo laid the dress on the table. The woman took her gloves down and threw them nearby. She bent and traced with her fingers the delicate seam of golden thread adorning the royal blue velvet of the gown. Then her attention was captivated by the soft _sottana._

'That's chiffon made from fine threads of golden and white see-through silk from the East – it absorbs the colours of other materials, in this case the blue of the gown.'

Shiva side-glanced at the artist to witness his words then returned to the dress admiring the long sleeves and the tall collar of the dress, circling the shoulders like a crown.

'The gown is made of fine velvet brought and sewed in Florence.' At that the man threw Ezio a quick, joyful glance.

'Leonardo, _c'est vreiment merveilleuse!'_ (It's really beautiful!) She looked up at him. '_Tu es genial!' _(You are brilliant!)

Her words brought a victorious smile on his face.

'Of course I am.'

Unexpectedly she launched her arms around his neck and kissed him on both cheeks. The man started to laugh while she went back to admire the details.

When Leonardo looked back at Ezio he felt the urge to laugh even harder at how lost and confused the man seemed.

He walked to him and Ezio finally managed to narrow his eyes in suspicion.

'What did just happen?'

Leonardo stopped next to him, arms crossed, self-confident as if he was admiring his latest work.

'Is Shiva alright?'

The artist rolled his eyes in amusement and the assassin faked amazement.

'Ooooh... Shiva is actually a woman! Now I get it!'

His reaction sent Leonardo in a fit of laughter and he had to shake it away.

'I told you that she has an eye for beauty ….and some expensive tastes.' He ended in a sharp tone. 'She has noble blood running through her veins, after all. And before you start again on the dresses subject – she doesn't have anything against them, she just finds them unpractical for her … life style.'

He nodded to himself. 'But this one, my friend' he pointed at the dress 'is both after her tastes _and _practical. Thanks to it she'll have access to the codex page.'

Ezio looked contemplatively at the dress and at Shiva's thrilled expression. The artist made some sense; not to mention that the dress was indeed something. At that point he remembered what Leonardo had meant by the royal blue. He also wondered what had happened with the lip rouge he had suggested… to think that it had been for her.

At that point his thoughts were interrupted by a knock at the main door.

Leonardo went to answer and when the door opened, from the other side Aurore, _Madame'_s right hand, bowed politely before slipping inside.

'Good evening. I came to bring the invitation.'

She nodded politely at Ezio then her eyes skipped to Shiva. 'Miss.'

The woman caught sight of the dress.

'That is beautiful.' It was a matter of seconds before her eyes widened in realization.

'Oh! You are going as well?' Her hands clapped together. '_Madame_ will be very pleased to hear this.'

The thief threw her a sly grin.

'I have no doubts about it.'

The woman in the doorway eyed Ezio with a smile that he instantly decided that he didn't like.

'And what is _Monsieur _going to wear?'

At the question he realized that he had no idea. He thought of ways to come up with a solution but apparently the saying that women can read minds was true.

'You should come with me back at _Le Sphinx_. I am sure that _Madame _will find something suitable.'

Ezio analyzed the possibility not entirely convinced by the outcome. When Shiva turned to him and leaned backwards on the table with a double edged smile he had more reasons to voice a refusal.

'Go on. It's not like I am going to leave without you.'

To her grin he responded with a sarcastic smile of his own.

The other woman handed Leonardo the invitation and opened the door.

'Let us return to the brothel. There is no room for worries; I guarantee you that _Madame _has more than one reason to make you look …. _désarmant.' _(disarming).

Ezio threw her a look of doubt, partially understanding her implications but proceeded to the door still not entirely sure that this was his best decision. Anyway, what other options did he have? Well, he could continue to protest against the whole party thing but this time there was something that kept him from doing so; and it had a breeze of curiosity all over it.

On her part, Shiva raised an eyebrow at the woman's words.

'Tell her not to overdo it. We don't want the guards to be so easy to conquer.' She sneered with an arrogant amusement.

The assassin frowned at the fun she was making of him and was about to send her somewhere nice and warm when the woman grabbed him by his arm and pulled him outside.

'Come on; she doesn't know what she's saying.'

Ezio looked down at the petite but determined woman as she pulled the door after them and dragged him down the street.

'So, have you seen Shiva wearing anything else than her usual attire?'

The woman looked up at him and smiled seductively.

Ezio tried to give it a thought but the answer was rather simple.

'Does a nightgown count?'

The woman arched an eyebrow.

'Or unclad.' He went on disapprovingly.

At that Aurore let out a crystalline laughter.

'She does that to you too?'

He frowned.

'What do you mean, _too_?'

Her laughter went on.

'From what I heard from _Monsieur _da Vinci's conversations with _Madame_ he had been receiving the same treatment for years. Shiva is not exactly an example of modesty; which reminds me of Vincenzo; you've met him. Ever since he was brought to Venetia and started to work on his own the two were a pair of outrageous devils each time Shiva came to visit.'

Ezio took in consideration the woman's words.

'For how long do they know each other?'

'Well, Shiva brought him here when she was 16 or 17. He grew to be very attached to her. When he was little she was the only person he would listen to; she was his elder sister.' She smiled but then her smile transformed into a grin. '…and then he grew up and started to break hearts of both men and women….women in particular since he's 'from the other deck'.'

With that Ezio decided that he didn't need any more details on the subject. He went back on convincing himself that he had not made the wrong decision.

* * *

When he entered the atelier for the second time that evening he was more than content with his decision. All his way back to Leonardo he thought of the last time he had worn something else than his Assassin clothes for one of his mission or for a normal evening at all.

For some reasons _Madame _had been grinning ever since Aurore had explained the situation. Apart from her occasional taunting and constant pleasure to talk in riddles he had enjoyed the attention.

Now he was clean, bathed in strong perfumes, shaved, and well dressed. _Madame _had proven to be an extremely resourceful woman, with the reminder at the end of it to always come to her for help as long as he stays on her good side. He figured the good side was related to Shiva a way or another.

He pulled his deep Venetian green vest slowly, adjusting it over his belt.

Leonardo was making his way down the stairs when he looked up and saw him.

'Oh my! You look pretty sharp!'

The man grinned.

'_Grazie!'_ (Thanks!)

The artist caught sight of the mask in his hand.

'Impressive!' He went to him and inspected it. It was a well carved _Capitano_ mask in varnished deep black and dark green matching his clothes.

Ezio snickered. He knew that much but didn't feel like bragging openly.

The artist searched for his eyes in a cunning smile.

'I meant that Shiva will be impressed.' They heard movement from the other room. His friend whispered hastily before turning around. 'Don't let her know I told you that.'

From the entrance leading to the adjacent room the woman stepped out, holding the crinkles of her dress.

She looked up and after a moment of silence she smiled cleverly.

'Would you look at that? Impressive, Auditore.'

Leonardo threw him a knowingly look but it escaped the man. Through the little that her words reached, him he was slightly disappointed. He would have liked something more… expressive than her controlled smile. The assassin smiled and now, without a hood, he let its meaning entirely to the watcher. If she was going to play like that so was he.

He stole one more moment of silence to revere her, thinking of ways to describe her. On his way here he asked himself what Shiva would look like in a dress and in order to be sincere with himself he should say that she was nothing like he had expected. Beautiful however was not a word he would think of; she wasn't pretty or the fairytale charming beauty. She was… real; and to Ezio that meant much more than any other pleasing qualities.

She was standing there, tall under the slim veils of the dress, terribly elegant and distinct. With the sparrow tail of her gown split and its edges ringed to her middle fingers, the golden threads in the rich blue and the pearls circling down her now tamed hair she looked royal. She was as she should. She was imposing and capable. But what Ezio loved more about her was that she was… tangible; within his reach; no spell and no charm that he might break. Real…Shiva was real.

So he let himself smile. He took confident steps until he was in front of her. He saw her reaching an answer in his eyes but he wouldn't let her have it. Instead, and not unlike him at all, his eyes fell into the shameless cleavage that the gown had, leaving a clear sight to her round breasts pressed under the circular _sottana._

His eyes widened in amazement.

'Dear lord, Shiva! You are a woman and all this time you have been hiding it from me?'

She blinked confused and a little taken aback by his powerful reaction.

'You…you have breasts!'

Three things happened then. Shiva's face dropped in irritation, Ezio brought his hands up, nonchalantly cupping her breasts as if to check that his eyes weren't playing tricks on him; Shiva's hand flew up hitting him in the side of his head.

'Would you stop with these jokes? And get your foul hands off.' She flapped them away.

Ezio simply grinned at her reaction.

'What? Don't tell me that you got modest and decent all of the sudden.'

Shiva simply stared him down.

Yes, even since they have met, making her temper fire up had been one of the most fantastic pleasures she had to offer. But unknown to her he was really impressed by her bust and was in truth having a hard time looking away from it. That is why his gaze fell once again on her cleavage, forgetting to look back, but now with a real frown on his face.

She was ready to smack him again when he spoke, sounding a little lost.

'Shiva….'

'What!' He swore she sounded as if she was wishing to bite his head off.

'How many moles do you have?'

There, on the inner side of her left breast, one black dot was taunting him, was daring him to touch it; and that is why the right hand of the young Auditore - a man who does not withdraw in front of a dare – found its way up, tapping the darker spot of her skin.

Shiva looked from his finger, drawing circles on her breast, to the man whose concentrated face was too close to her chest.

She exhaled, closed her eyes and like a hurricane she hit his hand away and ran past him.

'Ugh! You are incorrigible!'

Ezio stood there, like a child deprived of his toys, then grinned. Yes, the sight of her flustered face was indeed one of the most enjoyable aspects of his life.

When he turned around she was putting on a matching pair of pointy slap-soled shoes, as if she wasn't tall enough, and Leonardo was throwing him an amused but disapproving look.

Shiva went to the table and took her own mask – half covering, as his. Ezio noticed the matching colours to the dress and the black pearls hanging at one of the sides.

She threw him a vexed look, one of the many he was already used to and nodded for him to move.

She went to the door and Leonardo followed.

When Ezio reached her the woman opened the door and turned to bid her goodbye to the artist.

The man nodded.

'Be careful! Both of you!'

Ezio caught sight of Shiva's arched eyebrow.

'Shiva: don't do anything stupid; or reckless; or out of the line.'

The woman looked at him as if he was the object of her misfortune.

'And Ezio… well… keep an eye on her. No; actually don't lose her out of your sight.' The assassin smirked at his friend's weird dedication. By now Shiva sighed exasperated and turned around stepping outside and before Ezio had the time to reassure his friend he was pulled from the doorway by the collar of his shirt.

'Come on before he starts to scare me even more.'

Shiva let go of his shirt and made her way further on the dark streets of Venice.

Ezio caught up with her and they waked in silence.

Slowly he felt a smile reach his lips. He tried to concentrate it away but it was growing and apparently the woman next to him was starting to notice it too.

She tried not to say anything but it didn't last long.

'What?'

She sounded rather unconcerned but had asked out of complacence. Their problem started when instead of answering his smile grew wider.

'What?' Now she was curious and there was a tint of annoyance in her voice.

He should have answered her but he started to laugh.

'Oh for… what?'

Among the things he had come to learn about Shiva was that curiosity was getting the best of her.

His laughter ceased down but he was still smiling.

'Nothing.' He knew she was about to retort but he cut her off. 'I was just listening to the sound of your shoes against the pavement.'

She threw him glance of confusion.

'It's a relief.'

'What is?'

'That at least for one night you won't be sneaking around me without being heard.'

She rolled her eyes but dropped the matter.

'You want to get a boat to the place?'

'No. I rather walk. I want to get used to the shoes. I haven't worn heels for quite some time.'

But all this time she avoided looking at him. She showed much more interest in the people on the streets that were getting happier and more active as they were entering the rich part of Venetia.

'Tomorrow…'

His eyes snapped up at her face and involuntary lingered on her red painted lips. Yes, he had been right. The colour of blood on her expressive lips was making it hard for anyone to look away. He was glad with the choice he had made.

'What about tomorrow?'

'Are you going for Silvio and Dante?'

For an instant he glanced up, to her eyes but she was looking somewhere else.

'Yes. That is how I have it planned with Bartolomeo.'

'D'Alviano?' The woman asked amused. Even so, Ezio asked himself why he wasn't convinced and why was he still bothered by the distant tone she had started the conversation with. What was she aiming at?

'That guy is a legend around Venice.'

'You know him?'

'No. Well… I am a thief; you understand it's within the requirements of my craft to know… things about people. But I believe you were asking if I ever met him personally; no, I haven't; just heard… and read things.' she ended with a cunning smile.

Ezio nodded. The woman made a slow pirouette, watching the jester performing a handstand with his head in between his legs.

'Effective.'

But Shiva turned back to the road glancing at him.

'I can do better.'

He smirked and she smiled knavishly. With that the woman fell into the same distant silence.

'Are you sure about Silvio?'

He eyed her questioningly.

'If they plan to take down the doge and overpower Venetia I am not about to let them do as they please.'

He looked at her, waiting for a reaction but she did nothing. The handle of her mask was twirling in her hands.

'I just wish for all this to end. Once I'll get to Borgia I will put an end to it.'

At that she looked at him for the first time but he couldn't read her expression. She simply stared in her walk. For a second her eyebrows furrowed but she looked away to face the road.

'Good luck then.'

Not sure what to make of it Ezio said nothing and looked ahead as well.

'Is there something wrong?

'Why? Is it strange that I wish you good luck?'

But her protest was too harsh and even if he still didn't know from where to pick her it was clear that her 'good luck' had been just an excuse to get herself out of the subject.

After moments of silence he heard her spoke again.

'You know that Leonardo will be returning to _Milano _next month?'

'Yes.' What was with her and these unrelated topics? He wondered what was going through her head.

She nodded.

'I'll leave with him.'

They continued to walk, making their way through the people of the Carnival.

'Will you stay in _Milano_?'

The woman laughed softly.

'No. I have some business far west.'

He considered her words.

'France, far west?' he guessed.

'Yes.'

A group of children ran between them laughing and encouraging each other.

'To the Duchy of Valentinios.'

The man searched for her eyes but she was following the line of children disappearing on the small streets.

'So…that's it? It ends tonight?'

'Yes.'

She sighed but smiled slyly.

'You've kept me too much in one place.'

He frowned.

'That's not funny.' She had spent almost a year recovering from the injuries and he didn't appreciate any joke related to that.

'Stop acting like it was your fault.' She grinned. 'In my life I broke more bones than you can ever imagine. I even think I might as well have more scars than you.'

Suddenly his arm snapped forward and his hand clung forcefully around her sleeve covered arm, jerking her to stop and look at him.

He stared gravely into her citrine eyes.

'That is not funny either.' And he meant it. The thought of her body covered in ugly scars was nothing laughable.

She looked away and waited for him to let her go.

Realizing that his reaction had probably been a little too much he let his hand down uncomfortably and taking her by her hand he led her up the stairs ahead of the entrance of their target's _palazzo._

He brought his mask to his face and so did Shiva. Two guards were standing by each side of the door.

One of them stepped ahead and after a bow extended his hand.

'Your invitation, _signore.'_

At his words Ezio froze. _The invitation! _Under the mask his face became white in horror. He had forgotten the invitation. He had completely forgotten about it.

He was pulled from his thoughts when he felt a hand traveling up his chest. Looking down he followed the slender fingers of Shiva's hand stopping in front of his heart and from the pocket of the vest pulling out the gilded paper and handing it to the guard. Without even looking down at the paper the man smiled her way like a retarded and with the same grin he stepped back, opening the door.

* * *

a.n.: see you soon lads!


	20. to learn, to accept, to kill

**a.n**.: faints out of exhaustion. This is the longer chapter I have written; EVER! But it was to expect somehow because it may as well be the most clarifying chapter and probably the highlight of the story. As an informative note in this chapter will appear references to some moments from the chapter 'All the same' from Monteriggioni. Also, for those who are interested, the 'new' names or events you'll come across here are not randomly put but represent real historical elements.

On a more important note - thank you for all those who have left reviews across the story. You are the best!

All being said, I'll end this note and will go back at gazing at the sky of February, knowing that another year had just been added to my life.

Cheers.

* * *

_**Capitolo Venti**_

* * *

When they got inside Ezio looked at her from behind his mask. Her eyes were roaming with predatory speed all over the people and details of the inner court. Starting now he realized that whatever he was to do, he will present little interest to her. Proof was the fact that she went on without noticing that he had stopped behind.

He looked down at his chest and places a hand over the pocket. His heart was beating like mad and he had no idea why. He looked up to see her slipping through the rest of the guests. Had she felt it? And with the luck he was heaving she probably had, which was, in words put, embarrassing.

He coughed before stepping further after her.

He was ready to mix with the rest to reach her when a group of people blocked his way.

He looked up and for the second time the blood refused to reach his face. In front of him was none other than Mancini, surrounded by other people that, frankly, for Ezio now had no faces.

He desperately looked over the man's shoulder but Shiva had vanished like a ghost. Cursing her was not going to make her materialize right next to him, was it?

'Ha ha! You've made it, my dear friend!'

_Dear friend? _What was wrong with this man?

'Adriana, this young man here I've met during the _carnavale_. He is a distant member of _the_ Malatesta family from Rimini and he is here to study the banking system in Venetia.'

Ezio stared at him with enormous eyes from behind the mask and he had to keep his face in check not to let his mouth open at the things his ears were hearing. What was this man talking about? He looked puzzled at the woman, probably his wife, well dressed and elegant even if the age had its marks on her. He instantly pitied her for her husband but she didn't seem that bothered.

Her hand brought up, palm down got him out of trance and licking his lips he clumsily bowed and took her hand to kiss.

'_Piacere di conoscerla, signora.' _(Pleased to meet you, my lady.)

When the woman blushed slightly Ezio knew that at least, even if he had no idea of what was going on, he still could charm the ladies.

'How are things in Rimini, dear boy? After the defeat Sigismundo took, people mustn't love him as before…'

Ezio stared at the man dumbfounded. What was he talking about? Was he referring to Sigismund Malatesta? The war at the Campomorto? But what on earth had he to do with it?

'Ahem…you see…'

This night was bound to be a long series of déjà vu, because for the second time his body felt like a land of exploration when a hand roamed up his arm and caught it in a hook. To his right Shiva slipped closer to his body.

'I thought I've lost you and here you are talking to lord Mancini! I must say I never believed you when you told me you've met him personally.'

Ezio blinked; just that. If there weren't eyes all on them he would have grabbed her and jerked reality into her. How on earth was she allowed to act so calm and ordinary when things were over their heads?

He looked at the hosts and caught a grimace on the woman's face. He followed the direction of her eyes and he realized that she was staring at Shiva's arm wrapped around his. And the suite of women behind her weren't looking much happier. He glanced back at Shiva. Was that what they looked like?

'Ah, and who is this enchanting lady?'

What was he to say?

'Alberto is my cousin.'

Ezio stared at her and whispered confused.

'Who is Al-'

But his mouth formed a line of pain and his eyes closed forcefully when her shoe collided with his ankle.

'I am currently hosting him, here in Venice.'

The elder woman laughed, for some reason visibly relieved, behind her lowered mask.

'Oh dear, you must be one of the luckiest women in _Venezia_.' At her joke everyone, man or woman started to laugh, for various reasons.

Shiva looked at Ezio, and hidden by her mask she raised an amused eyebrow at which Ezio was almost ready to growl but he was sure that his eyes had delivered the 'don't you make fun of that' message just fine.

The women launched themselves into a row of blatant jokes while the nobleman grinned his way but had to pay attention to one of his guests.

Ezio leaned towards her and tried to whisper as low as he could.

'Shiva….I know, I can't believe myself that I am doing this but...please get me away from here.'

The woman instantly grinned and without bothering to whisper she turned to him.

'Say please!'

Ezio looked around. Yes, people had heard that. He rolled his eyes.

'Please?'

At that she threw him a smile of victory and with the lightest laughter he had ever heard coming from her she looked back at the noble and his wife.

'Well, as you have seen I've been a terrible guide leaving my cousin all alone, so you will allow me to steal him from you for a tour around your beautiful garden.'

'Ah yes, feel free. And there is also the patio and the hall inside. I am sure there is something in my life long collection that will catch your heart.'

Ezio felt it: the low, sly vibration in her voice.

'I am absolutely sure about it.'

She bowed and waited for him to do the same before leaving.

'What the hell was that about?'

He hissed as silently as he could.

'What was what?'

'That! About Rimini and distant member of Malatesta.' The woman was eyeing him with sceptic amusement. 'The Alberto thing!'

'Oh that! I just came up with the name.' Ezio stared with disbelief at how unimpressed she sounded.

'You just came up with it!'

'Yes. And now that you put it that way, I guess that whatever you're talking about must be related with the story Madame invented for you not to raise suspicions. But Malatesta you say? That's a little bit too much even in my opinion.'

The man sneered.

'That's reassuring.'

She threw him a dirty look.

'What is that supposed to mean?'

'It means that whenever you agree on something I say it's a sign that I should start having serious doubts.'

'When Mancini said 'his life-long collection' he didn't joke about it. This half of the garden if holding valuable paintings and sculptures and so does the patio above. Then there is the great hall with the corridors.'

Ezio didn't know if he should feel relieved or annoyed that she hadn't been paying attention to him.

'I'll cover the patio. If you find something down here let me know.'

He nodded but he suddenly eyed her in a calculating manner.

'And what if you find it?'

She waited for him to end his idea.

'You won't go for it alone.'

'What? Of course not! Haven't you seen the number of guards patrolling around? If anything I will need a distraction!'

For some reason he had a feeling that on his face was written 'distraction' with the most stylised letters.

'You know what? Forget I even asked.'

With that he turned around and made his way through the nobles to inspect the garden.

In moments like this Shiva was easy to hate; and practical. Somewhere in the back of his head he knew it was for the best. He remembered how she deliberately let him know that she was going to leave and he couldn't do anything about it but realize how strange and unlike her it had been. He tried to picture the moment again because he knew that there was something about it that he was missing; or maybe it was just her way of saying goodbye and he was overanalysing it. But if one day, that moment would prove to be more than a simple conversation….

He reached the other end of the garden without any successful finding. He started to slowly pace around the end of the staircase leading to the patio asking himself if he should go upstairs after Shiva.

He took some steps behind and looked up, past the marble balustrade, covered in ivy.

His eyes wandered from a person to another until he caught sight of the rich colour of her gown.

There she was, stepping slowly along the length of the patio, between the group of people chatting and laughing. He was stating to lose her and almost panicked, he skipped past people around him, falling into her rhythm. He narrowed his eyes and didn't lose her out of sight. Like an eagle he registered every move on her way to the end of the patio. There was something that, no matter what, would never change about her. The easiness of her moves, their fluency. She moved as if she wasn't touching ground. It came down on him the acknowledgement that the cape from his father's secret room was the same with this elegant woman. There was something that no one and nothing could take away from her. Her elegancy; her crude, savage and cruel elegancy that she had been born with; she had it under that dark hood, she had it even when her clothes were drenched in water, she had it in her glares and in her anger; it was there, in her tears, under the weight of pain and caged in her body covered in scars. And now, it was like the piece de resistance in that empire of fine clothes.

His legs refused to move and he felt overwhelmed. His palms transformed into fists. She was there at the other end of the stairs with her head up, and he realized that he was seeing her from the same position as the rest of the men that were looking at her: with intrigue, fascination but fear and disheartenment.

There, in the sea of people he realized how wrong he had been and an involuntary feeling of jealousy overtook him. The only Shiva that he could reach was the one without a name, without a ground; the one wearing the cape and the one that was smoke to the eyes of others. Shiva, as she was now, was dignified and sumptuous. She was graceful and outstanding. She was far, cold and distant. She was almost baronial in her superiority and he suddenly felt stripped of any title, as simple as a peasant reaching too high. But this time it had nothing to do with ranks, positions or fortune. He felt lessened, guilty and caught committing a crime of morality. In front of the world… in front of his family.

Her eyes have been looking around and his jaw clenched, knowing what she had been searching for the moment they stopped on him and never left. With her natural unreadable expression she stared at him. He closed his eyes and swallowed. He promised himself to never forget this night and the feeling of doom that it had seeded deep inside of him. He gathered the courage to open his eyes and realize that the only world that was crumbling was inside his mind and people were in reality still laughing and dancing in that festive garden. His feet started to move again and he effortlessly made his way up the stairs. Whatever had been out there crushing him and making him an insecure person was going to end tonight.

He stopped next to her and she shook her head. The man leaned closer to keep their conversation private.

'I'll take the right corridor; the left one is yours. We'll meet in the hall.'

She simply nodded and he was glad. For the time being he didn't want to hear her voice.

He crossed the patio in haste and entered the corridor. Paintings were hanged on the walls, and jewelry and old artifacts were protected in glass boxes on massive pedestals. Few people were gazing at various objects and guards were occasionally seen at the other end of the corridor. He walked further throwing a glance at each glass.

He was halfway to the hall when something caught his eyes. And contrarily to what Shiva would have approved of, it had nothing to do with the codex page; or with any object in the house for the matter. There, in front of a painting, one of the most fragile looking persons he had ever set eyes on, turned around and smiled his way. She was young, 18 or 19 but she was beautiful and that sweet smile adorned the features of her face.

'Are you lost, _signore?_'

Her words didn't quite reach his ears but he nodded his head out of instinct.

'I am sorry, what?'

She giggled. 'I asked you if you were lost.'

'Ah, no, no; just…captivated.'

She looked at him with innocent confusion but the smile never left.

'I was referring to the painting.'

The girl turned around, her eyes lingering on the soft features of the painted Virgin.

'I know. She's beautiful.'

Ezio smiled and turned his attention to the painting as well. What on earth was he doing? She looked so innocent and he knew what kind of rascal of a man he was.

'Are you a guest of Mancini?'

'Yes.'

She smiled and looked at her feet.

'It might sound out of place and outrageous for a young woman to say this but…. would you like to have a dance with me later?'

His face beamed at her sudden offer.

'What? Outrageous? It should have been me the one to ask such a sweet _signorina_ to a dance.'

Her cheeks reddened but she had no problem in meeting his eyes. 'Great! Usually people at parties go on with how a woman should patiently and virtuously wait for a man to come and ask her.'

Ezio grinned at the sudden talkative side of her. 'If I'll tell you a secret, will you keep it?'

Her green eyes grew with curiosity and she nodded. 'Of course.'

'If you would have said that to me years ago I might have just agreed with them. But now I know that a woman who knows what she wants is far more impressive than those who sit in the background.'

For a moment she simply gazed at his face but then her eyes sparkled with enthusiasm and her charming smile found its way back to her lips.

'And what is the name of the person who blessed me with such a beautiful smile?'

The girl bit her lips and was about to answer when a devious low voice rang through the corridor.

'Oh, Alberto! I think I am in love!'

Like on fire he stepped back from the girl and watched over her shoulder, searching for the currently odious owner of the voice. Shiva was in the hall, right at the end of the corridor, in front of a box with what Ezio could clearly distinguish as jewels. She looked up from the glass and at him with a guileful smile on her face.

'You should definitely come and see this.'

He frowned at her mean amusement and then turned at the girl. She was eyeing Shiva with careful eyes and her cheeks were deepening in the colour of red.

He felt like an idiot. That's why his laughter sounded so gauchely.

'She- he he….She umm…' he remembered Shiva's words. It had been so simple for her to come up with that lie so why would he have a hard time playing along and tell the girl that Shiva was just his _wicked, obnoxious, deranged, infuriating and loathsome_ cousin? He should just do that and not look like a prick.

He smiled. 'She's with me.'

He started to back away, turning after some steps to continue to the woman but his head would still turn to see the girl he was leaving behind. He was a jerk and he had one person to thank for that. But as he was approaching each and every thought of any possible dispute was vanishing. Ezio reached Shiva but instead of stopping he continued inside the hall. He stared at the wall in front of him, and then back to Shiva. Still confused he retreated until he was next to her. Shiva was staring at the jewels in the box.

'Umm…I believe you saw it, didn't you.'

For some unknown reason he stared at the same necklace covered in sapphires.

'Of course I did.'

'Then why are we standing here?'

'I don't care if you have a thing for fame but I rather skip the part where posters with my face are pinned all over the city's walls.' Her eyes lifted to watch the pair of guards chatting in one of the corners of the hall. 'Calling for you to see the future missing codex doesn't sound that smart if you ask me.' He watched her from the corner of his eyes. Her fake attention was yet again on the jewels.

'So what is your plan?'

She grinned. 'Who said I had a plan?'

'Are you saying that the great shadow thief doesn't have a plan?'

She looked at him and comically raised an eyebrow.

'I appreciate it but at times you do think too highly of me.'

Their conversation was interrupted by two older women passing behind them.

'What kind of speech do you think lord Mancini will hold this time?'

'I don't know; something grand and full of nonsense, like the last time, to bore his guests. To tell you the truth, I would be so much more interested in hearing how he cheats on his poor wife.'

'He has a mistress?'

'Ha, what mistress? My husband told me that...you know, he likes to play with little boys.'

The women exploded in a nervous giggle.

Ezio watched them continuing their walk down the corridor. He had almost forgotten what hive of gossips aristocratic parties were.

'And there is our plan.'

He looked back at Shiva.

'Stealing the codex page during his speech?' He eyed her amused. 'Aren't you an opportunist.'

Shiva met his eyes. 'Of course I am. You can't expect to have a plan and wish everything to go according to it. And seriously now, I am a thief; opportunism is one of the most innocent 'qualities' I possess.'

He smiled while she returned to the jewels. At times like this Shiva wasn't half bad as a partner.

'Oh, and the girl you were trying to woo...'

'I was not wooing anyone!'

But his eyes involuntarily searched for the girl in the place he had left her. She was nowhere to see.

'Whatever. She is Mancini's niece.' The woman grinned and Ezio rolled his eyes at his own luck. Shiva looked at him. 'Her name is Carla.' And her tongue languorously hit her teeth while she let the name roll out.

He frowned and he swore that she was no better than a teasing older brother. His own thoughts caught him off guard and he pretended to look around at paintings, objects and people.

His eyes were trained and he couldn't overlook the glances that people were throwing at them and the exchange of whispers.

He glanced back at Shiva but her attention was on the blue stones. He looked down at the velvet cushion inside the box, at the edge of the pedestal and even lower to the expensive boots he was wearing. His eyes skipped again to Shiva's and then to her romantic pained lips.

'Why did you say we were cousins?'

She didn't bother to look up.

'We're not exactly look alike to pass by as brother and sister. And anything romantically related would have caused serious suspicions.' She glanced at him amused by her thought. 'We don't quite portrait the image of a loving couple…' Her smile grew '…with you hitting on other, _younger,_ ladies…' He dismissed her teasing and returned to stealing glances at the other guests who were shamelessly having them as a subject of their gossip. He sighed. A glance at the envious looks of those people and at their bitter whispers would have proven the contrary to Shiva. He pitied her; for as much knowledge she had, she was a disaster when it came to people.

Next to him she sighed.

'We should go outside.'

Without answering he stepped away and waited for her to come. Before leaving the woman tapped the glass.

'Shame; I really liked these.'

They made their way to the patio and looked around. People were chatting, drinking, and pleasing each other with compliments.

'How long 'till midnight?'

The man looked around. 'I don't know… some good minutes I think.'

He looked around. 'We should let Mancini start his speech so the corridors will empty.'

The woman nodded. 'Alright… see you then.'

'Why? Where are you going?'

But he stopped when she pointed with a nod somewhere in the garden below. He followed her gaze and found the girl from earlier chatting with some of her friends but stealing glances at him from time to time.

He grinned but still caught sight of Shiva shaking her head disapprovingly. With a smile she stepped away and left him alone to go to the girl.

He stepped down and crossed the garden. The young woman noticed him and turned, expecting him. When he got closer the other girls stepped away giggling and whispering.

'It looks like we meet again, _signorina _Carla.'

The girl was at first surprised.

'You've learned my name, _signore_.'

'I had to; no matter what.'

The girl laughed and Ezio was thankful for it.

'I also have to ask you to forgive me for the sudden disappearance.'

'Oh, don't worry. I understand.' She stopped to bite her lips. 'Your cousin is a beautiful woman.' Ezio felt the urge to ask what cousin but realized that the girl was talking about Shiva.

'I see that you have also learned about me.'

'Just things…that reached my ears.'

'I am convinced.'

They shared a witty smile.

Then her eyes skipped past his shoulder. He turned around to see what had caught her attention.

Shiva was on the patio, alone, hands on the balustrade, standing out in the sea of people, looking down in the garden as if she were a Sphinx.

'She's graceful.' Ezio looked at the girl and unlike the time in the corridor her admiration wasn't clouded by envy. Women were curious creatures. 'And beautiful…'

Ezio looked back at Shiva and grimaced.

'She's not that… beautiful.'

The girl laughed.

'You don't have be modest about your cousin.'

Ezio looked her in the eyes.

'I wasn't. She's just not beautiful.'

The brunette stopped from laughing at his plain voice and watched him with concern. Even for him the tone sounded a bit too forced. He shook his head and looked back. His eyes traveled down along the staircase and caught sight of a tall man staring directly at her. He was expecting the poor man to look away at some point, like all the others were but this one continued to stare with intensity. Ezio went back to Shiva and followed her eyes. He knew that if she were to look at the man she would do what she does each time – stare bluntly and give the wrong message. It was a good thing that Shiva was ignorant when it came to people.

_Please don't look down, please don't l-_ too late.

She had sensed the man's eyes on her and now she was gazing directly at him. Ezio frowned when the man straightened and without even excusing himself in front of the people he was talking to, he left and made his way to her.

He inspected the man. He was tall, with an agile construction, short blond hair, in his twenty, elegantly dressed and not bad looking.

'Oh, that's Pietro Foscari. He is one of the nephews of Francesco Foscari and as if his titles and fortune weren't enough he's good looking too.'

She giggled and looked around to prove her point with various women who were not leaving him out of sight.

'He's…ok I guess; nothing to brag about.'

The girl laughed yet again and got closer to him.

'What does he do?' Ezio analyzed him from head to toe, determined to find his flaws.

'He's the head of the Venetian city guard.'

Ezio nodded absentmindedly until the words sank.

His head snapped at the girl.

'He's what?'

The woman looked at him puzzled.

'He's the…'

'No, no, no….I heard that the first time.' He put both of his hands on her shoulders but he was eyeing with pure horror the two, up in the patio.

As much as he was enjoying seeing the man engaged into a discussion to which Shiva was barely according any attention he had to get rid of that man before he would complicate their mission.

'Is there…something wrong?'

The assassin looked back at the girl, as if he was trying to find an excuse in her eyes.

In the same time he felt people around him fretting. Probably Mancini was preparing for his speech. He looked over his shoulder. The man was currently distracted by a group of men that were engaged in a talk. It was his chance to do something and let Shiva know of whom she was speaking to.

'Ummm… will you excuse be for a second? I have to solve something with…my cousin.'

The girl watched him in confusion but nodded.

Before leaving, Ezio smiled.

'I didn't forget of that dance so don't run too far'"

He was pleased when the girl relaxed and smiled.

Now that he had things sorted, he ran at the base of the patio. He could see Shiva's back from down there. After he looked around and made sure that no one was watching him he tried to capture her attention.

After a short whistle he realized it wasn't the best idea so he let various inconspicuous 'psst'.

It didn't take long for Shiva's fine hearing to capture them and step back by the balustrade.

She shook her head questioningly.

Ezio pointed up and behind her at the man's back in the background. She looked over her shoulder and pointed with her elegant finger at him in confirmation.

Happy that she got the message Ezio nodded and let his mouth mime the word 'guard'. Shiva's eyes narrowed, waiting for him to spell it again. The man sighed and tried yet again but she shook her head as a sign that she couldn't understand.

With a heavier sigh he thought of another way. So he brought his hands up and framed the coat of arms of the Venetian guards. Her face twisted even harder in confusion. Little by little Ezio became infuriated and he made sure that his cursing was visible through the grimaces he was making.

He looked around for ideas, then he pointed at her. Her own finger got up and did the same. He nodded and with one hand he showed two fingers running away like feet. Then his other hand pointed at the man behind her, only for Shiva to do the same. With that hand he started to chase his first one but when he looked up Shiva was a serene image of puzzlement.

His movements became abrupt and in a burst of anger he brought his hands above his head and drew the guard's helmet.

Suddenly there was some sort of understanding in Shiva's expression and she leaned forwards, arms on the banister. He modeled a long weapon in his right hand and copied the straight position of a patrolling guard. Shiva leaned even more as if she was almost, almost getting it but not there yet. Instead of yelling at her he let his frustration off though his explosive gestures and pointed at her how he, the guard, was going to throw her to the ground and have her neck.

Huffing exhausted he finally looked up to see the woman with her hand underpinning her chin, one enormous and terrible amused smile barely hidden behind her spread fingers.

Then it hit him; like a fatal blow it hit him. Not only she had gotten the message from the very beginning but she had also played a fool out of him. Petrified, his eyes miserably glanced around under an unstoppable force only to see with dread and mortification the amusement written on the faces surrounding him. When he look back up at her it was only to see how Shiva was barely contenting her laughter.

'You ill-natured woman!' And with her deep laughter she spun around sending him in a free run up the stairs, after the floating blue ghost, past people and without concern that the host was about to start his speech. He ran down the corridor, faster than her, almost reaching her at the other end. When she turned to the right he sprinted and launched himself to grab her but when his eyes focused and he heard a yelp he realized that he was holding another woman by her dress and arm.

When said woman started to hit him with her fan he simply threw her away from his eyesight, frenetically looking around for Shiva. One masculine voice rang to his left words of expecting an excuse and other reproaches. Acting under his fidget he snapped his head at him and with a single glare he silenced the man. From there he stomped further into the hall, biting his lower lip in concentration. She had to be somewhere around there. He smiled at the irony of his thoughts and situation. _Use your surroundings in your advantage _she used to say and now her own weapons were turned against her. Looking in the mirror to his right he caught sight of her gown behind one of the marble pillars. He approached it slowly knowing that she was going to hear him anyway. Ezio stopped and put a hand on the opposite side from where she was. He knew that if he was to twirl one way she would escape in the opposite direction. Instead he looked at the glass that was keeping safe an old torn letter. The glass of the box was reflecting the image caught by another glass on the opposite wall of the hall. He had Shiva in his eyesight. In an instant he launched to his right and even faster he pivoted to his left and blasted off after the mess of floating material that had sprinted in the same direction. He caught her and surprised she let out a high row of laughs while she spun out of his grip.

He sighed and watched her running away backwards. He was about to go after her when he froze. From the corridor behind her stepped out the same annoying guy from earlier. He watched in horror thinking that she will collide with him but in the last moment she spun around and stopped right in front of the man.

He had no idea what words they exchanged but the man ended by offering his arm which she accepted. Before they disappeared back in the corridor she glanced his way and grinned victoriously.

Looking around, there were few people around, most of them already outside for Mancini's speech. He walked down the other corridor and exited to the patio. The man was between two statues of Greek goddesses, with a glass in his hand thanking for the presence of his guests. He found Shiva somewhere on the stairs at the other end of the patio, having mister head of the guards next to her, whispering things into her ear. He continued to look around from time to time checking the corridor. Minutes passed like this and it seemed that everybody was outside. He looked back at where Shiva was supposed to be but the spot was occupied by other people. He leaned over but there was no sight of her in the garden. He frowned when he saw Foscari with some of his friends but no sign of the woman. Slowly, not to be noticed, he backed away and turned into the corridor. Tracing his way back into the hall he was not surprised at all to find Shiva working at the lock of the glass container of the codex page.

'It took you long.'

'Sorry, I was busy waiting for a sign.'

She simply puffed.

Ezio eyed with interest the already infamous needles in her hands.

'Where did you keep those?'

'You'd be amazed how many things the crinkles of this dress can hide.'

He paced around and grinned.

'A man?'

She interrupted her work to glare at him.

'Poison.'

He concentrated to think away the image of poison between her legs. He looked down the corridor; soon after, he frowned.

'I think someone's coming.'

'Take care of them.'

He fully turned around and disappeared behind one of the pillars to face directly the corridor.

'Shiva…. I have to clarify something about our partnership.' He spoke solemnly.

'What?'

But he didn't answer immediately.

'I feel used.'

Of course he had been humorous about it but it struck him how instead of her irritated reactions of dismissing him, she laughed.

As he made his way to the corridor he thought how natural and calm they interacted under circumstances like these: both of them, against dozens of armed guard that could have their heads at any time.

He had to blink when he saw none other than Carla promenading out of the corridor. A guard wouldn't have represented any problem in silencing him. This was bad. Of course the woman noticed him and stopped. Ezio had to think fast before the girl would sidestep and risk spotting Shiva.

He marched at her and immediately spun her around.

'What are you doing here?'

The girl looked at him a little scared because of the way he had launched towards her.

'I could ask you the same.'

'I…' He looked over her shoulder. Why couldn't Shiva be faster? 'I…came here to see the painting once again. It reminded me of you.' He clenched his jaw. Shiva will probably tease him for the rest of the time they'll spend together because of that cheesy line. But regardless, it seemed to work on the girl as she was starting to loosen up.

'Now it's your turn.'

She looked away embarrassed. 'I …didn't feel like listening to my uncle's discourse.'

'Fairly understandable.'

He smiled and she giggled in a thankful manner.

He was thinking of ways of keeping her focus on him when another row or steps, more heavy, were coming though the corridor.

'Who can it be this time?'

He realized he had voiced his question when the girl answered him.

'Probably my uncle's guards.'

'Guards?'

'Yes…'

Instantly he grabbed her by the middle and pushed her closed to the pillar. He looked into her eyes seductively.

'What are you doing?'

He leaned over her shoulder and whispered in her ear. 'I wish I would know.'

The guards stopped in the doorway and Ezio, still with the back at them, stepped a little to the right, fully hiding Shiva out of their sight. The woman stopped and looked over her shoulder at him. He spelled her to move faster and she had the impertinence to 'hmph' him away.

Ezio tilted his head and glanced at the two men. They were frozen in the doorway.

'_Signorina _Carla!'

The girl red as the dress she was wearing threw them an angry but extremely embarrassed glare.

'What are you standing there for?'

At her words they started to babble and bowing repeatedly they excused themselves, turning around and leaving as fast as they could.

Ezio let out a relieved sigh but he still couldn't chase away the fact that he had abjectly used the girl like a miserable man.

'Thank you.'

'What for?'

He was spared from a humiliating moment by the powerful claps coming from outside.

Suddenly the brunette's face beamed and her hand went down to grip his.

'Uncle finished. He'll announce the beginning of the dances. Come on.'

Before he had the time to say anything the girl started to pull him away from the pillar and towards the corridor.

He looked behind at the glass box on the wall and frowned. Shiva was not there anymore; but the codex page was.

He let himself dragged, confused and focused on his own theories of what was happening. Ezio saw faces, masks and dressed pass him by as he was swimming through the sea of people, lightened only by the candelabras and fireworks above their heads. He found himself in the middle of the garden with the high sounds of violins singing out a lively tarantella. The grip on his hand tightened and he looked down at the girl by his side. She circled around him and he spun, his eyes searching faces from behind his mask.

Then he saw her. In the wheel of people participating at the dance, there she was, one hand holding the mask and the other one gripping the dress in her twirls.

He steadied his grip on the girl's hand and with sure steps he moved closer in the rhythm of the mandolins, through the other dancers. His eyes followed the gesture of Shiva's slender arm after she let go of the dress, to the firm hand where she laid hers. He saw the pale blue sleeve of the man's doublet adorned elegantly with pearls; he saw him pass his hand around her lower back and spin her around.

Ezio bowed and took the girl in front of him by her hands and spun forcefully through the people. He looked up again but dancers were keeping Shiva out of his sight. With one more step he was ready for the next part. He smiled down at the brunette and with both hands on her middle he lifted her and performed a pirouette. He put her down. And exchanged partners.

His hands rested on the new, thin middle, as gently as he could while his legs got weak at realizing how big and powerful his hands were against the thin veil of the _sottana_, folding against his palms and almost letting her skin show when pressed against her body.

He looked up and overcame his moment of perdition.

'What happened?'

But she voiced back his question.

'What happened?'

Her hand searched his and guided him through the dance.

'The codex?'

'Got it.'

Her face was covered by the mask and the mystifying light of the fireworks was making his heart beat unreasonably fast. He snapped his hand from hers while she circled him, and tried to stop it from shaking against his own chest. What was happening to him? He had to talk. He needed to talk.

'But I saw it.'

They stepped by each other's side.

'That's an empty copy I took from Leonardo.'

'Where is it now?'

She stopped in front of him and smiled. In the darkness of the night he had no control over his hand that was on its way to her red mouth and the mole at its corner but it was thankfully stopped by hers before it was too late. She stepped closer, following the steps of the tarantella and he froze when he felt her guide his hand under the gown, on her thigh. There, the round metallic form of the codex page was cupped by his hand. She grinned once again and waited for him to pass her by and come back again through her right. He did just that and his hands were back again on her middle. He raised her up, as high as he could and watched her letting down her mask. The woman threw her arms around his neck and laughed; she laughed as he had never heard her before.

'I am terribly happy.'

He put her down and turned to his right to his original partner. _So she seemed._ He smiled again for the brunette but in his dance he looked over his shoulder after the tall woman. The dancers changed and changed and changed again. Ezio was back to back with Shiva.

'How so?'

In the dance they spun and were now facing each other. Instinctively he glared at her partner.

'Something got my interest.'

Before he had the chance to ask further Foscari pulled her away again.

Ezio turned back to his partner and let a weak smile form on his face.

'I am all yours now.'

The girl smiled back and danced him to the rhythm of the tarantella.

That is how Ezio spent the next minutes. Heated by the dances he eventually retreated accompanied by the young woman. They laughed a little exhausted and moved to a secluded part of the garden so they could enjoy the chilliness of midnight. From time to time he would look in the crowd only to catch sight of Shiva and next to her the same man.

'Thank you for the dance.'

Carla had been thanking him again and again since they detached themselves from the rest of the people.

Ezio laughed considering how sweet the girl was.

'So, I take that you are your uncle's responsibility each time your father is away.'

She laughed. 'Something like that.'

'_Signor_ Alberto, can I ask you something?'

He still had to get used to that name even though he desperately wished he didn't

'What is it?'

'Do you have a fiancée?'

He looked at her in bemusement.

'_No_.'

The girl glanced at him coyly.

'Are you…a ladies' man?'

Ezio chortled and looked thoughtfully at this girl who possessed such an innocent curiosity.

'Who knows? Maybe I am.'

It took him by surprise when after a moment of silence her face expressed sincere excitement. And for a second there was a smart smile that he knew that one day will define her entirely.

'Then I guess I should thank you.'

'What for?'

'Because, besides your cousin, I've been the only person you have spent the night with.'

He looked at her but his mind was listening again to her words. He let a scrappy smile make its way to his face and involuntary he looked over the girl's head, to the people gathered in the garden. He scowled when Shiva was nowhere to see; neither was Foscari. The man closed his eyes trying to erase the obsessive thoughts out of his head and concentrate on the girl besides him. She was indeed beautiful and he had been unfair to her all night. What he hated the most was that he couldn't help it. It was beyond his control. And his hatred was slowly transforming in fear and panic.

The assassin looked through the ivied bars of the wrought fence and outside, at the dark street. He wondered how many years had passes since he had last taken part at an event like this.

This night was an exception and there were more than one reason why he would never forget it. He was aware that moments like these, where he had not to worry about who he was, what he was, will no longer find their place in his life. And, truthfully, he even felt out of place. There was no joy or thrill, no innocence as what his adolescent mind used to perceive. He was now estranged, misplaced; sure, with the right clothes and the perfect words people like these were more than ready to accept him; but all this wasn't him anymore. He had seen and went through far too many faces of the same world – darker, grimmer, lurid. And he learned that, these people, surrounding him now, as beautifully they were keeping themselves they could also possess the ugliest souls.

He glanced at the girl who was watching with curious fascination the people gathered there. Suddenly he felt the urge to raise his hand and caress her well-arranged hair. So he cupped one of the brunet tresses. The girl looked at him surprised and he was sure that she had seen through his uneasy soul because she answered him with her warm, assuring smile.

The spell was broke by the rising fret among the guests.

Ezio looked around to confirm that indeed something was happening. He was about to step forward when from the wall of people emerged the blue mirage and passed by him, passing her hand along his back and arm.

'Run!'

Ezio looked after her and then snapped his head at the guards stumbling out in the patio.

'Thief! Thief! We've been robbed!'

People were beginning to panic.

'Ezio!' He turned to face her.

She had stopped not very far from the exit, realizing that he hadn't been following. His glower disappeared when he realized that her face was nothing like her demanding voice; it was troubled, it was weak, surprised and expectedly.

_Damn it._

Without giving another thought he pushed away and into the arms of other people the guards that were making their way through the garden and sprinted after her.

She turned around and floated through the doors of the garden, past the two guards. When they prepared to run after her Ezio gripped them by the collar and crushed them into the walls. He jumped down the stairs and reached her. He grabbed her hand and when more armed guards emerged through the opened door he pulled her down an alley to his left. They ran without exchanging a single word with the sound of heavy metallic footsteps right behind them. Eventually they ended into a crossroad of narrow alleys and Shiva slipped out of his grip. He turned around, using his assassin's skill to see how far behind their pursuers were.

He couldn't believe when she exhaled but between her breathing he could hear chuckles of amusement.

'You find this funny?'

The man turned around but found himself all alone.

'_Al diavolo, _Shiva!' (To hell, Shiva!)

He didn't waste one more second and ran to the alley to his right. How could she? He felt fury built up inside and he felt like a fool; giving everything up for her, for her stupid caprices, because she probably couldn't keep the hands to herself. In his run he crushed his fist against the wall and dragged it, leaving a smarting pain. To think that she even impressed him, standing there and asking for him. And now she fled without even as much as a kick to let him know. He ran to the end of the alley and realized he had reached an open market.

He looked around the place flooded in silence.

'Shiva!'

But there was no answer. Just darkness.

He clenched his teeth in anger.

His senses heightened when he heard steps furiously approaching from somewhere to his left; rapid, light steps. It was her. Soon the steps were echoing from the nearby alley into the marked and a melodious laughter sent cold chills down his spine. An abrupt sensation of dizziness clutched him and he searched support on the cold wall. When the blue veiled vision materialised from the alley, moments and memories converged and he found himself years back, on his last Mardi Gras in Florence; _there was a girl next to him, her back on the wall; he could remember her but not her face. It was late that night and they had run away from the festival. And then, in the silence of the streets he heard the sound of steps, running. There was laughter, like silver coins against the pavement; a mess of dark green emerged from the alley near them and the long arm dragged her companion. The dress flew in her twirls and her laughter echoed through the Florentine streets._

_The young man laughed after her and Ezio remember the happy face of his elder brother as he turned and locked eyes with his._

'_Ha! Ha! Fratellino! You left some charming ladies looking for you at the carnavale!'_

_The young woman stepped back closer to him and gripped both his hands dragging him once again._

_Ezio couldn't see her face. It was dark and all he could distinguish was the light colour of her hair._

_The man roared at her laughter and unclasping one of his hands he waved to Ezio, letting himself dragged further away._

'_Federico, come on!'_

'Come on!'

The echoing voice broke the veils of his numbness. Ezio closed his eyes and gasped out of the memory. When he opened his eyes he faintly registered the woman disappear down the stone stairs to a lower street along the docks.

'It was you….' He giddily stepped towards the stairs. That night, back in Florence, the reason why he had restlessly tossed in bed it had been…

'Ezio!' Her laughing voice ripped him from that surreal feeling. He could vaguely discern her form at the end of the stairs. 'You're lagging! Venice prison doesn't provide comfortable beds, you know!'

The situation came back to him like a sack of bricks and his feet started to jump the stairs three at a time.

Once he made it down he sprinted after Shiva, who was already ahead of him. In a moment he saw her stop and look down the alley to her right. She started to step backwards, keeping her dress above the ground with both her hands and staring in the darkness of the alley.

'E-ee-eee-Ezio!'

He heard it: the metallic sound of running guards. He instantly added power into his feet and launched himself ahead, his arms easily finding their way around Shiva's middle and hips, lifting her up and throwing her over his shoulder. Not a second did he stop and Shiva yelped in her laughter when he ran right past the guards. One of them made the effort of stretching his arm but she gripped it and pulling him closer she hit him in the head with her fist. The woman straightened herself with her hands on Ezio's shoulder and looked at the man tumbling to the ground. Her laughter intensified as they were pulling a distance from their chasers. For Ezio it was easy: the guards were covered in the metal of their armours while Shiva had an insignificant weight.

He felt her taking her hands from his shoulder and realized too late that she had funnelled them at her mouth.

'_Escargots! Je plains vos femmes! Si vous courez comme ça je ne veux pas penser comment vous faites l'amour._ _Allez vous faire foutre, bande de connards !' (You snails! I pity your wives! If this is how you run I don't even want to think of how you make love. Up yours, you bunch of assholes!")_

'Shiva!'

Ezio looked up at the row of audacious insults the woman was shouting.

Still laughing the woman put her hands down on each of his shoulders, one of them at the base of his neck, her thumb tracing up to his jaw, and smiled at him_._

'_Quoi? _(What?) Even an 11 years old sprog can run faster than them.'

She looked up again.

In his run he lowered his face in a hybrid caress along her hand. Damn. He burst into a loud guffaw. Her damn laughter was more contagious than plague.

'You are a mad woman!'

He felt her look down at him and glanced at her and her rich smile.

'_Je sais!' _(I know)

At her light laughs he synchronized his.

'Head down.'

At once she lowered her body and wrapped her right arm around his neck while he passed under a loggia.

'Shiva! I can't see… or breathe either.'

Eyelevel with him, she grinned showing her teeth and brought her arm tighter. He had to crane his neck backwards.

'Shiva!'

The woman laughed and took her arm away, resting her hand on his shoulder. She looked up.

'Left! Turn left!'

Ezio executed but found himself in front of a dead-end alley.

'No-no-no-no! My left!'

He turned yet again and grinned at the adrenaline seeing the guards far behind.

He sprinted down a large street.

'Put me down.'

He let her to the ground and she took him by the hand dragging him from there along one of the walls.

She stopped in front of an ivied wall and pulling the green layer she revealed a narrow passage.

'This way.'

She slipped inside and he followed. The other end led them to a canal. Shiva hugged the wall and stepped on the thin edge. Ezio chuckled and did the same.

'You do this on daily basis'

'I do worse…. dressed properly.'

'Don't start.'

But she simply laughed and finally stepped to safe ground.

She ran up the stone stairs to an upper level and they continued into the darkness of Venezia.

It was no doubt that they had long exited the rich district of Venezia and were now in a poor part of the city.

Her high heels hit the pavement at a hurried pace_. _Ezio looked behind him and the crinkles of dark blue swayed around him as Shiva spun to have a better look.

He took a deep breath after their aimlessly run.

'Do I now get to know why we've been running like madmen to this…' looking around at the poor, raffish area they ended in, he continued a little discouraged 'obscure… shady… privy place.'

The woman found a second in her high alert observance to roll her eyes.

'…because I would really appreciate to know if I did the right thing by following your orders like a puppy or if I just kicked away my chance to spend a lovely night next to that enchanting _signorina_.' He had meant it as a joke but when he realized that Shiva wasn't even pretending to listen to him he got a little mad.

'What did you steal to infuriate the personal guards like that?' He breathed exhausted. 'A bit of self-control wouldn't bring you any harm.'

She turned to him, hands on her hips, and puffed a ringlet of her hair away from her face. But sooner than expected they heard a new set of steps running their direction.

'_Merde! _Don't these guys ever give up? Does he have an entire army?'

'No, he has a private troop.'

He was about to consider running again when he saw Shiva exhale heavily and grimace.

'Is your foot ok?'

He heard a 'no' coming through her teeth but before he had the chance to offer to carry her again he found himself thrown off the street. He narrowed his eyes incredulously at Shiva.

'What was t-'

Ezio had no time to end his sentence as the woman gripped both of his arms and spun him around, pining herself between his body and the stone handrail, safe from the dim light of the moon. Ezio looked behind her into the lower street.

'If this fails and those guys stop, you do something.'

Ezio stared at her trying to understand what she was planning.

'Do what? They are armed to their teeth and I have just my fists.' He said as a matter of fact. Even under these conditions Ezio realized that they just couldn't help not being at each other's throats.

'Do you always have to solve problems with your fists? Oh, sorry – at times you use your dick too. If you start a fight by tomorrow each and every ear of this city will know of it.'

How had this become his problem in the first place?

'They are looking for me. Do your best to keep me out of their sights. I can't run anymore with these stupid things.' And to emphasize her point she hit the ground with her left foot.

While their chasers were getting closer and closer Ezio had to take the countless shock from that night as the woman that was as good as glued to his body threw her arms around his neck and before crushing her lips on his she whispered a threatening 'Hide my damn dress'.

If he was to think about it, Ezio couldn't describe it as shocking. It was just…awkward. Well, at the least he wondered if this evil hyena knew as a last result how to be romantic. He sincerely doubted it. He analysed her as she was clearly not realizing the intimate interaction they were having. Her eyes were following with round orbs every movement that was taking place behind him. It was then that he decided that this woman was the worse. He'd pity any true Italian that would set his eyes on her. She was like a damn cold rock. Did she even possess any sensuality?

He heard their chaser run right past them but then stop.

'Hey, you! _Signore_! Making out in the public is a shameful thing. Take your _puttana_ and beat it off the street!'

Suddenly Ezio felt the body tense under him. Maybe those weren't the smartest words to call her by but this wasn't the time to go berserker and slaughter people in the middle of the street. _Oh, no, you won't._ He caught her waist and squeezed forcefully making her open her mouth in protest. He was a gentleman yes, but he at least deserved to take a payment for the troubles she had caused him throughout the night– so he took the opportunity to let his tongue roll inside her mouth – this should also cause her to forget about her previous murderous thoughts, so there couldn't be any harm done. With the other hand he waved the man away, ordering him to mind his own business.

For an instance it seemed to work but the guard noticed the familiar colour of the dress. Ezio felt the man's interest grow and he did the first thing that crossed his mind – he obeyed her orders, only that this time round he was doing it in his own way – he did his best at hiding the dress by lifting it up and let it fall over the handrail, his hand moving nonchalantly up her hip. He knew she was not going to let him get away with it, that he probably had a storm ahead of him. Now, he wasn't a masochist, really; but he couldn't help not to smirk in her lips.

And his plan seemed to work because the man started to step backwards embarrassed.

'Marco – have you found anything?'

Ezio's amusement dropped on spot. He heard at least two more set of steps approaching them. This only meant bad news. He started to think of an escape route and the first place where his eye fell was over Shiva's shoulders, down to the other side of the ledge. They were as good as fifteen meters higher than the street below, but right under them was their salvation.

Without further warning he encircled both of his arms around her and pushed himself forward, over the handrail. The last thing he felt before they were both swallowed by the mass of hay was a pair of fragile arms tightening out of instinct around him.

The man had turned for a fragment of second to signalise the others to come quick. But when he looked back there was nothing but thin air where once the two strangers stood.

One of his friends reached him and his eyes ran from the guy to the place he was gaping at.

'What the hell is wrong with you? You look like you've seen a ghost.'

'But- there- the two- I saw-….'

* * *

Both of them stood quietly until there was no other sound on the streets except for the water hitting the walls of the city.

Ezio hit the hay out of his face and took a deep breath before fully emerging out of the haystack.

'It took them long to leave the area.'

He got on his feet and turned to help Shiva out.

The woman didn't even look at his hand and crawled out but remained on the ground.

Ezio froze.

She winched in pain as she brought her feet from under her. In an instant he was back down near her.

'Did something happen?'

'I think I dislocated my ankle.'

She was biting her lip as she lifted her dress to reveal the weird position of her left foot. He wanted to bring his hands around her leg but she stopped him.

'Don't! It hurts like hell.'

Worried, he looked up 't her. "But we need to relocate the bones.'

Shiva exhaled when her foot accidentally moved about the ground and shook her head.

'Not here, not now.'

'Are you sure it's just dislocated?'

'Yes.'

He gazed at her unconvinced.

She rolled her eyes.

'I've had enough broken bones to know how that feels.'

Ezio sighed heavily and looked down at her foot.

'It's my fault.'

'No, it isn't. I just got scared in the fall and landed like a stupid rock.'

It might have been so but Ezio knew that she wasn't comfortable with heights and free falls. It was a reason enough to blame it on him.

'Let's get you to Leonardo to have a look before doing things worse.'

She put her hand on his shoulder and Ezio rolled his eyes when she started to push herself up.

He didn't bother to say anything but turned around and offered her his back.

'Get on.'

But there was no movement.

'Shiva, don't act stubborn with me! This is not the time. It's better to carry you this way to protect your foot from other impacts.'

Slowly her arms crawled up his shoulders and he helped her with his hands, securing his own arms around her thighs.

Ezio got up and started to make his way to the artist's atelier.

They walked in silence, listening to the sounds of the night in the Venetian city. They had ended up in the far west of _Venetia_ and there was a long distance ahead of them. Ezio looked at her hands over his chest. She was too quiet.

'You know… I can always bring you to Antonio's hideout to help you. The thief guild is closer than Leonardo.'

He instantly fell her arms tighten around his neck and smirked.

'Don't you dare!' She took a moment before continuing. 'We're not exactly on good terms.'

'I know.'

He crossed a bridge.

'Can I ask you what hap-'

'No.'

Her voice betrayed discomfort so he decided to drop the subject.

From there they continued in the same silence for minutes. In that silence he felt her move. At first he thought that she wanted to shift her position and paid attention to her foot, not to hurt herself. But the moving didn't stop and he suddenly felt her push herself into his back. He wanted to ask her what was she doing because her breasts pressed against his upper back and his hands now almost on her butt weren't making it very easy for him. But his words never came out with her suddenly pulling the dress up and entirely revealing her right leg. He turned his head to look the other way but his eyes had a mind of their own and were stealing glances at her revealed thigh.

She pushed even further and a hot sensation hit his chest and groin as he felt her pelvis between his hips. Ezio tried to swallow the sensation away and concentrated on her hand, currently roaming over the belt that was holding the codex page attached to her leg. On the inner thigh, the belt had a small pouch that she opened and leaked out in her palm a river of blue stones. Ezio snapped his full attention to the stones immediately recognising the necklace.

'What! _That_ is what you stole?'

She didn't answer but pinned her chin on his shoulder admiring the rich necklace that she was holding in her hands.

'I did tell you something had caught my attention.'

Ezio stared at the jewels.

'You were talking about that?'

'Of course. Can't you see how beautiful they are?'

That's when he let his powerful laughter echo through the silent streets. This was Shiva he was talking about. How could he think that she would even notice a man, no matter that said man had practically followed her the entire evening.

'You are phenomenal.'

He turned his head to look at her and smiled almost relieved. Her attention was fully on the necklace which made him think that whatever outrageous thing he was to say it would have gone unheard.

She brought the necklace to their eyelevel, holding it by one of the ends.

'I even think I will keep one or two of the stones.'

He eyed the jewels.

'You intend to take them off the necklace?'

'Naturally. You have no idea how well they sell on the black market from East of the Holly Roman Empire.'

He arched an eyebrow.

'You've been that far?'

She let her arm down and purred into his left ear.

'And beyond.'

He straightened his back to cover the shivers and repositioned her on his back.

Shiva put the necklace back and leaned her head on his, steadying her breath against his neck.

'Are you alright?'

'Yes; just a little worn out. My plan for tonight didn't exactly include a chase across Venice and twisting my ankle.'

Ezio simply nodded and stepped down some stairs, walking along the course of a canal.

It was silence again. The man tried in vain to stop the small smile. He was now more than sure that at some point in his future he will be missing this night. She was leaving. As he let his legs carry him down the paved streets of Venice he tried to memorise Shiva's warm breath against his skin, the ticklish sensation of her lips on their occasionally light brush against his neck and the cool breeze coming along the canal, dancing the hems of her dress in the air; just because he wanted to be able to vividly remember them for as long as he could.

'Shiva…'

He whispered slowly, partially knowing that she might have fallen asleep, partially afraid that she might not have.

'Ummm…?'

It had been a long breath and when he spoke again it was even more softly that the first time.

'You were the only exception_.'_

Between him and Federico there never was that kind of competition. That didn't mean that he could control his childish envy. He could control his actions, and his mind, but not the feelings. That Florentine night he had returned home early and unable to fall asleep he had spent half of it sitting on the stairs of the house waiting for Federico to come as well. But when his brother had entered the house not long after the sunrise, just then, he had wished so badly to be him that he had allowed himself to be mean. It was hard to explain. It had nothing to do with his brother or Shiva. It was about that something that they were sharing, about some sort of secret that was going to make his brother special. He had been afraid that that night Federico might discover something that only he will ever know and will forever keep it a secret from him even if they were brothers.

And now? Now he was feeling a little bit disgusted by his younger self. It was as if fate had given him what he wanted. But he never wanted it this way. He was now captive to the echoes of his steps, holding onto something that belonged to Federico. He knew that he wasn't at fault for the way that things had happened, but that wasn't enough to kill the feeling of nausea. He never wanted to take what was Federico's. He wanted to know, never to take. He had his chance to learn that secret with Cristina but neither his brother nor Shiva were guilty of what was going in his life. And the hits of his life- he could take them…. but only if miracles could happen… his only wish would be for Federico to be there and take Shiva away from him because he was terribly scared and lost. He was scared of Shiva and most of all he was scared of himself.

It was not his fault; it was no one's fault.

'It's just that… green suites you better.'

He felt her flinch in her state of doze.

She sluggishly raised her head from his shoulder and exhaled heavily.

'What?'

She tilted her head, watching him with curiosity with her half closed eyes.

He smiled everything away, a thing that he had come to do a lot around her.

'What about a gondola?'

At his normal voice she was slowly ceasing the sleep away.

Ezio took heavy steps to the wall of the canal and nodded at the approaching gondola.

Shiva craned her neck and rested her chin on his shoulder.

'Why a driven gondola? Can't you just take one of the shore tied sandoli?'

He turned his head enough to stare at her. After all she went through she was still holding to her vices.

'You want me to steal a sandal? And how will you be able to swim if anyone catches us?'

He sighed and turned his attention at the gondola.

'_Ehi, gondoliere!' _(Hey, gondolier!)

The man nodded and started to pull his gondola near them.

'And how do you intend to pay him?' Shiva asked ironically.

Ezio smirked. She was going to tease him on this one.

'I might have borrowed some money.'

'Borrowed?'

'From some of Mancini's guests.'

There were some seconds of silence until Shiva started to laugh softly, putting even the gondolier in a good mood.

She tightened her grip around his neck.

'If I didn't know better I'd say you want to impress me, _signor_ Auditore.'

Ezio chuckled at how stealing and Shiva's lady-like voice sounded so twisted in the same context.

He stepped in the gondola and made his way to the _felze._

'_Una bela notte, no?_(A beautiful night, no?)Where am I to take such beautiful young people?'

Shiva sighed over Ezio's shoulder, probably at the luck they were having with the over-talkative man.

'Canal Grande, second arm.'

'My pleasure.'

Ezio looked inside the _felze _and crouched down at its opening. He helped Shiva lay inside, on the pillows. While she dragged her body on her hands so that she could lean on the backrest in a sitting position, Ezio checked her left foot. She bent forward as well and took her right shoe off.

'Let me.'

Shiva watched Ezio gently pull the left shoe. She winched in a second of pain and her hands tugged at his arm.

'That's ok.' Soon the shoe was off and he started to lightly blow over the skin of her ankle to cool it off.

They stopped when a low hum reached their ears and looked up at the gondolier. Ezio suddenly found the man amusing; he also thought it must be really sad to spend your nights on the canals, all alone. He looked from the man to Shiva, who apparently wasn't appreciating the man's good intentions.

'You have to be joking me!'

Even so when the man's voice started to echo through the canal Ezio did nothing but smile at the romantic notes while he returned his attention to Shiva's leg.

He looked around and snatched a pillow, securing it over the edge of the gondola and attentively, he placed Shiva's calf over it, making sure that her foot wasn't touching anything.

'Tell him to stop singing!'

The assassin laughed at her suspicious expression.

'Why? He at least makes this stinky canal less gloomy.'

'But it makes me feel like an archery target!'

Crouched outside the _felze, _with one of his arms resting on his knee Ezio laughed harder at how worried and uncomfortable she was looking. He shook his head.

'_Gondotiere! _We appreciate but the _signorina _is tired.'

The man nodded and continued to row in silence.

Ezio thanked him and looked at Shiva. She had relaxed and was now leaning on the pillows. The _felze_ provided a small place but it was comfortable enough for the woman to rest.

He glanced at her leg and then started to gaze at nothing in particular, over the surface of the dark water and at the quiet houses along the canal.

Slowly he started to feel a pair of eyes on him. When he turned his head he caught Shiva's intense gaze. Her face was as unreadable as always, but of one thing he was sure: she was tired. And so was he. It had been a long night and in a few hours the sun was about to rise for the new day.

She straightened a bit and brought her hands by her sides, pushing herself to the right.

'Come here.'

Ezio eyed the small place by her side through his heavy lids. There wasn't enough space for two.

Still, she stretched her hand to him. He looked from the hand back at her. At that hour of the morning she looked so serene and calm that it made him understand that there was no more point in fighting it. Things were as they were; _feelings_ were as they were.

Ezio gave up and pushed himself under the red blinds, resting his head against her left shoulder. He followed in that silence the rhythm of her chest. They heard yet again the rising hum of a slow song that the gondolier was singing to himself. Ezio smirked and whilst she didn't laugh out her chest started to tremble.

He slowly and heavily let his head tilt to fit in the curve of her neck and listened to the lullaby of her beating heart. He felt his eyelids fall but knew that he had to stay awake. So, the man brought his left hand up, to knead his eyes and rested it on his forehead. He saw Shiva's hand come from above and take his. She turned it to the side of his little finger to inspect it. Only when she walked her fingers to his wrist he was reminded of the smarting pain.

'What happened?'

His mind went back to the moment of fury in which he had hit his fist against the wall. He never imagined that he had scratched himself that badly.

'Just… an accident.'

She didn't say anything but slipped her hand in his palm, walking it up and above, down the other side.

Ezio watched in fascination the unusual dance of their hands. With his hand open he saw her thumb following the darker line of the scar in his palm.

'You shouldn't have this.'

Her voice was a light whisper. He loved her clear whispered voice.

'I'm sorry. You didn't deserve this.'

The man gazed at the scar in his palm, the scar felt by her knife back in Monteriggioni. The scar she left on him.

He closed his palm blocking her hand in his and brought them down to his chest.

His eyelids covered his hazel eyes. Of all the things and among all the feelings he should have been feeling at that precise moment, there, on the gondola, at the end of that long night he only felt at peace. For the shock, the danger and the torment that meant making Shiva part of his life, for all that hardship she was compensating with these little, ingenuous moments of peace and comfort that she wasn't even aware of. Next to her, even if for a short time, all the nightmares and deepest fears were gone and sleep would come easier. And things like these were out of his control. He could do nothing about them…just accept them and find his peace.

With his eyes closed he smiled.

'Do you intend to compensate for it in some way?'

The voice of the gondolier went down in a melancholic tone.

'Ummm…no.'

His smile grew tranquil.

'I thought that much.'

She rested her head on his and her free hand found its way to his forehead, gently playing the locks of his hair around her fingers.

He had no idea when it happened. Probably it never happened and it simply grew on him, gradually, quietly and unnoticeably until…it was too late. He had feelings for her, and from that there was no turning back. He couldn't say that he loved her but his heart would race dementedly when he was near her; he couldn't say that he was attracted to her but his hands felt a need to touch her, to find their way to her skin; he didn't find her beautiful but he couldn't look away from her eyes and lips; at times she was infuriating because it was hard to accept that she was in fact his equal and not just a woman but that was what he appreciated and made him want to keep her by his side; he wasn't infatuated with her…but…she was going to leave.

In fact he has thankful for it; and maybe because she was leaving it was now easier for him to accept all his feelings for her.

'We're here, _signore_!'

Ezio opened his eyes and threw all his thoughts to the back of his mind. He got up and went to the man to pay him. When he returned Shiva was already in a sitting position, waiting for him. He helped her on his back and when she was settled he stepped with her out of the boat.

He reached the road when the voice of the gondolier made him stop and side-turn.

'_Signorina, _you forgot your shoes.'

From his back Shiva chucked and waved at the man holding the pair of elegant shoes up.

'Sell them and buy something nice to your children at home.'

Ezio laughed quietly and shook his head while he made his way to Leonardo's atelier.

Once in front of the door they stopped. He had no idea why but suddenly that door seemed so big and imposing. He heard Shiva sigh.

'Do we have to do this?'

'Well, I guess it's either listening to Leonardo's tongue-lashing or we could always spend the morning together in front of this door.'

It didn't take even a second for Shiva to start hitting the door with both of her fists.

'I'm flattered.' He muttered and rolled his eyes.

They heard steps almost running from the other side, not that Ezio was surprised with Shiva's brisk knocks.

The door snapped open to reveal a perplexed artist at the sight he had in front of him.

'_Ma che cielo…'_ But the confusion vanished when Shiva skipped the words and simply lifted her left leg to him.

An expression of worry immediately froze on his face.

'What happened? Get in!'

He moved aside and let them enter the atelier. Judging by his looks and clothes he had been sleeping.

Ezio went directly to the table and seated Shiva there, knowing that this way their friend could have a better look.

'We think it's dislocated.'

The artist went to Shiva and bent over to inspect the injury.

'How did it happen?'

Ezio dragged his hand along his nape and averted his eyes, ashamed.

'It's my fault. I took her in a leap of faith.'

Leonardo looked up, the sleep long forgotten.

'Why?'

He didn't feel like talking about it.

'Things didn't go smoothly and we had to run from the party.'

'What he means is that I stole something and got us into trouble.'

Leonardo looked at Shiva and back at the assassin.

In return he shrugged.

'Details.'

The artist sighed frustrated.

'Didn't I tell you not to let her out of your sight?'

'Why am I at fault? She's the one that needs the lecture.'

'I'm injured.'

She smiled innocently with her excuse.

'Anyway… my leg?'

The blond man decided that, as usual, it was no use in trying to talk sense into either of them when they were completely focused on ridiculing one another. He put a hand under her calf to get her foot into the light of the candle he had lightened when they had awakened him.

'Hmmm….'

''Hmmm' what?' By her voice Shiva didn't like her friend's observation sounds.

He stretched to the table and picked a thin brush. He started to puncture her sole and Shiva put her lips together not to curse the pain.

The artist straightened and threw the brush away.

'At least it's just dislocated. Some of your blood vessels might have been damaged or even broken but at least there's no fracture.'

He narrowed his eyes meticulously.

'We need to relocate it but…' There was a pause and Leonardo looked from one to the other. 'For me it's much simpler when I am working on corpses. I don't have to worry for the pain.' He turned to the other man in the room. 'Ezio? Do you mind doing it? You'll do it much faster and less painfully.'

The man eyed Leonardo and fully turned to Shiva. It was a moment of silence in which the two stared into each other's eyes. And while on Ezio's face a grin was slowly making its way, the woman's eyes were growing in horror.

'Leonardo, can't it really be you?'

The man who was oblivious to what was happening shook his head in disapproval.

'Shiva, Ezio has more power in his arms than me.'

'How's that a good thing?' Her worried eyes were following Ezio, making sure that he wasn't stepping closer to her.

'He'll do it more quickly.'

'Yes, but he'll also do it with a stupid satisfied smile on his face.'

And to prove her point his grin just got bigger while he made his way to her.

'Shiva, be reasonable.'

The grinning man kneeled in front of her.

'Yes, _Shiva, _be reasonable.' He caught her eyes. 'It's not like I'll take pleasure from it. What kind of opportunist man do you think I am? Even though revenge has a sweet sound.'

'Ezio! You stop it, too.'

She pushed her lips and her narrowed eyes shot fire.

He smiled thrilled at the way he felt her shiver when he took her leg in his hands.

'If you do something unnecessary I swear I'll hit you.'

'_Carina _(Sweetie) …can't you appreciate that I am finding myself down on my knees in front of you…yet again?'

The woman sneered.

'It didn't exactly give me any pleasure the first time either.'

At that his smile turned seductively.

'You know how they say… maybe our third time is the charm.'

She stared at him with a blank face.

'Do you really have to give everything a sexual meaning?'

He continued to smile.

'Oh, and you are naïve if you think I can't see your hand making its way up to my right leg. You'll have to wait until I get old and blind to fool these trained eyes. I will seriously hit you if yo-_aaaaaah_!'

Ezio simply smirked before pinching the skin of her right leg. She raised her hand up at the pain but twisted again at the new short pain that she registered in her left leg.

He smiled at her funny reaction, glad that she hadn't even had the time to react properly when he had pulled her foot and relocated the ankle.

'Do-' But he didn't end his word when a storm of smarting hits launched at his back.

'Shiva, cut it out or I'll pinch you again.'

A hand stopped on his cheek, pushing his face to one side and keeping it that way.

'You will not do that again you…. you…' He found adorable her face twisted in pain and frustration.

'…you….mule!'

Fine, so he'll take his thoughts back. He watched her eyes water when his fingers twisted the skin of her leg.

'Aaaa…!'

All too fast she hit him again and bent forward, from the table on his back and before he could register he felt her arms around him and a pair of teeth on his left shoulder.

'Gah! Shiva! Don't! Agh! Stop biting!'

He snapped his hand over his back to hit her away.

'_Madonna mia! _(Oh my God!) Stop it! Both of you! Now!'

At the sudden outburst of the artist they froze and whilst Shiva was throwing him one piercing glare, Ezio was still grimacing because of the pain.

'You are worse than children!'

They exchanged a glance from the vicinity of Ezio's shoulder and even after a mutual agreement to stop it Ezio still felt the need to sneer when she faintly slapped his face away from hers.

Leonardo sighed in resignation. All that he wanted at this point of the morning was a little bit of peace.

'Ezio, please bring Shiva upstairs. There's an improvised bed for her. I'll go dampen some cloths into cold water to wrap her ankle.'

The man didn't wait too much to catch her left arm and seize it to his chest and secured her legs from under her knees before getting up with her as a sack over his back.

She started to struggle but it only made Ezio tighten his grip. He walked up the stairs with Shiva constantly shouting at him to put her down properly. When he reached the upper room he saw the mattress and pillows on the wooden floor. He stepped near it.

'Put me-'

'Fine.'

And in the same moment he bent and let her roll off his back on the bed.

Instead of yelling words at him or complain like a hysterical woman she just cursed him of seven years of bad luck through her pugnacious glares.

He straightened and massaged his bitten shoulder.

'You don't have any sort of rabies or whatever is that foxes have, do you?'

He smirked down at her expression of annoyance.

'Your bad habits are bad enough for one person.'

When she didn't react at all he turned around and made his way to the stairs.

'Be nice and listen to Leonardo.'

As he made his way down the stairs he thought that it's for the best not to stop or look back at her.

He was half way to the atelier when her voice was clearly and powerfully heard from upstairs.

'_Vaffanculo!'_ (Fuck you!)

The artist froze with the bowl of cold water in his hands and stared up, past Ezio.

'What was that?'

The man himself turned to look over his shoulder but then he trampled down the last stairs while laughing.

'It's either Shiva learned to cuss in Italian or that was her way of wishing me good luck in my life.'

The artist continued to throw him a confused look at which Ezio considered his words.

'…or both.'

Leonardo shook his head, exhausted by their 'casualty' disputes.

'Listen, Ezio…it's almost morning. If you want you can spend the last few hours of darkness here. I have something in the other room…it's not much but I use it to take a nap there from time to time.'

The man nodded.

'I think I'll take the offer, _amico._' After all it was of no use to lose the last clocks of the night making his way to another place.

'I'll bring you some pillows and something to cover with. I'll be right back.'

With that the artist went up the stairs.

Ezio made his way to the next room. It was small and it reminded him of the adjacent room that the artist had in his old atelier in Florence.

He looked at the poor sack but he was more than thankful for it at that hour. He started to unbutton his vest and stopped in front of a table. His hands crawled slowly from the buttons to his sides. There, in front of the improvised mirror, on the wooden table was Shiva's belt with all her pouches and weapons. He turned around and saw her cape and clothes occupying the only chair in the room.

Ezio looked back at the belt. He knew that it wasn't a polite thing to search through other's personal stuff but…

He grabbed the sheathed knife and walked his fingers along the carvings. It was the same knife that she had used to attack him in Monteriggioni. He opened his right palm and pondered over the scar before putting the knife back down. Looking at the belt, the holders of her pins were empty. Between the two pouches from behind there was a row of vials containing gunpowder, poison and other substances that he couldn't name. One of them was also missing. Then something caught his eyes. One of the pouches was opened and whatever was meant to keep in there had been poorly placed back. He moved the belt away and in just that simple gesture the glimmering form fell completely on the table.

His heart shrank and a wave of sadness washed all the other feelings away.

It was irrepressible and impossible to forget… his brother's image was to stay into the conscience no matter what.

He picked the oval brooch and held it in his hand. He felt like begging for forgiveness but there was no one in front to whom he should do so. It had all ended up so wrongly but he couldn't do anything about it.

'Here it is!'

The assassin jumped at the second voice, cursing that he had been so out of it that Leonardo had managed to enter the room without him noticing.

He spun around and watched his friend throw two pillows and a cover on the bed and turn at him smiling.

'Well then… sleep well.'

Ezio smiled faintly and the artist noticed it.

'Is something wrong?'

'No…just… a long night.'

'Yes, I figured that much.' Leonardo laughed softly and stepped towards the exit. 'Oh, and did something happen while you were away?'

'Like what?'

'I don't know…. Shiva asked me to wait outside while she changes….'

'I fail to see the problem in that…'

The man stared at him as if he had just said the most obvious thing.

'Ezio…you know Shiva wouldn't even bother to let you know before she starts undressing…'

That triggered some sort of indignation.

'Does – does she do that with _all_ the men?'

'What? No! Well… I had to get used to it since I was 14 and she jumped naked into the river in which I was bathing without even giving me the chance to protest...she was about 8 at that time I guess. Then it started to happen on a regular basis…and probably because she ended on my operation table enough times she feels like she has nothing to hide from me anymore.'

He made a pause.

'Well…. In case you haven't noticed we don't represent much of a 'man image' for her.'

Ezio frowned.

'…'Man image…'. I don't know how to put it, but I think she has a problem with understanding the notion. For each embarrassing moment she has dragged me through I had been more of a man than I would have liked too; and trust me when I tell you that I don't mean it in a bragging way.'

The other man smiled.

'I can imagine and you have my pity. But you can't blame Shiva either. After all you were the one complaining of how _unwomanly _she is.'

He set his mind to leave again.

'Well, I guess you have no answer to that… and it's not like you can know what goes through Shiva's head. See you in a few hours.'

Ezio nodded, too tired to trouble himself with the previous discussion. He unclenched his fist a little glancing inside before he took his boots off and unbuttoned his vest. He threw it on the table and disposed of the shirt next to it. Walking to the bed he unfastened his trousers and let his body fall heavily. At the edge of the bed he opened his palm and gazed at the jewellery, for the first time without having to feel like he was doing something illegal.

He wondered how could his body and mind still permit him to feel and focus on anything else than what he was facing at the moment. This was such a little thing but it still lived inside him. He hit his head on the pillow and unfolded the cover with one hand, getting under it.

This night had indeed been one long, exhausting night. But it was nothing comparing to the day he had ahead of him.

His fisted hand went under the pillow.

Regardless, about this matter, he wasn't going to lie to himself anymore; but he wasn't going to do anything about it either. It will die at some point. She was going to leave in less than a month so it should die. Those feelings will die with the time like all the rest.


	21. all the best laid plans,

a.n: Le GASP! This author is alive! (Yes, take that you insolent time-eating machine!) . end of rant.

But yes, I am finally free of my exams with a precious diploma in my hands (insert grin here). Unfortunately it won't last for long since I have to prepare for my master years. Regardless, my point was: please forgive me for this long period of silence. Most of you probably have even forgotten of the existence of this never-ending fanfic. (I swear…the end is near… at least for the first 'volume' of the story. 4-5 more chapters to go with this, and the sequel will start with Brotherhood.) Either way, for those of you who were so kind to leave reviews even when this project seemed dead – thank you! Really. All that I am hoping is that at least for the moment I can update the story at a normal rate.

Before we get this rolling: Ayumi – thank you for shaking me out of my author block. I suck at love letters, I really do…. And the fact that it had to be the product of Ezio's creative spirit got me staring at the monitor of my laptop for hours. So yes, you are an inspiring role model… when you are not busy sewing bunnies . Oh and P.S: get your own damn account here and start posting, woman!

And since no one came here just to read whatever boring things the author feels like saying, on with the chapter. I hope it will make the waiting worthy and it will renew the interest.

Cheers, luvs

* * *

_**Capitolo ventuno**_

* * *

The man shouted for the last embankment when the artist stepped on the ramp of the ship.

'I seriously hope they are handling my luggage with care.'

'Leonardo you promised you'd shut up for 5 minutes and stop worrying. You are miserably failing.'

The man looked over his shoulder at his companion, currently carrying a leather sack, coincidently full with his belongings.

He stopped once he reached the main deck and looked around, frenetically trying to reassure himself. His friend went past him without considering the artist's anxiety.

'You look as if you're about to have a heart attack. Relax!'

'Shiva, this ship was supposed to leave an hour ago – you can judge by that their professionalism and I should have been in _Milano _two days ago!'

The woman didn't bother to stop or look at him.

'Don't put the last part on them. That's on you.'

A dull thud reached his ears and he could picture his sack hitting the wooden deck before he actually had the time to turn around and look at Shiva.

'What are you doing here!?'

At her revolted voice he looked up to the other side of the ship.

With his elbows nonchalantly rested on the rail Ezio Auditore was grinning their way from ear to ear.

On the spot Leonardo forgot about his worries and a large smile appeared on his face.

'Ezio! What are you doing here indeed?' Unlike the peevishreaction of the thief he went straight to the man and hugged him.

The assassin took his hood down and laughed.

'I decided to take a trip to Monteriggioni and since word went that you were leaving to Milano I thought you'd like some company; at least for a short time.'

The woman stared at them, specifically at the assassin in pure annoyance.

'I think the company part was covered up just fine.'

With that she turned around and stepped past the fallen sack. 'This ship is going to _Padova_, and I think you are old enough to start learning your sense of orientation.'

'I know. I plan to accompany you there and take the rest of the road by horse.'

The artist looked at him pensively. 'But that would take you longer….'

'Not necessarily. It's not like I am in a rush. I have to wait until I hear words of the ship that left for Cyprus. '

'Either way I am glad you are here. The trip with the ship will take only half a day but to tell you the truth I'll feel much more comfortable with your laid back attitude than Shiva's sharp sarcasm. She seems to have woken up in a bad mood today.'

Both men looked around finally realizing that she had left. They spotted her feet away, kicking a crate and grimacing at a poor sailor. They couldn't hear her but by the man's servile face they could only imagine the smarting in her words, reason enough to pity the man.

'Don't tell me…she was less vociferous before she saw me.'

Leonardo simply nodded.

Then he turned to the assassin with a more serious face.

'I am sorry this affair with Silvio Barbarigo was a dead end.'

The man followed the thief's movements without interest but his eyes hardened as he kept a sigh from escaping his lips.

'So am I….so am I.'

The ship was not for a long time on sea when a long echo made the deck under their feet vibrate. The wood creaked.

Both looked down and around, then at each other.

'That can't be good.'

'_Santa Maria._ We just left the docks minutes ago and this thing threatens to sink.'

Eziosnickered. 'It does look like it had seen better days but I wouldn't take it that far. It is a cargo shipafter all. I was rather curious of why did you choose to travel on board of thiscaravel**. **You are not exactly the man to fall out of his convenience**. '**

'The next passengers ship to _Padova _was scheduled to leave in 4 days from today. I don't have that much time. I am already weeks late with some works and at this precise moment I should be in my atelier in Milano, presenting the plans to the duke**. ** And apparently this piece of floating wood was the only option. At least they were kind enough to give me a small room in case I need to rest. Not that I would dream of leaving my belongings and sleep at the other end of the quarters but I guess being an artist has its advantages.'

The other man smirked.

'Aren't you in a talkative mood…'

Surprisingly the artist winded his eyes in relieving agreement and slammed his hands on the rail_**.**_

'You have no idea! Since this morning all that Shiva did was to find ways of telling me to keep quiet. Have you ever traveled with Shiva on long distances? It's simply maddening. I was mentally preparing myself for days of silence. Talking with her is like talking with rocks. At times I have to confirm through others that she is real and not a trick of my imagination. It's a true relief when the _bartender_ at an inn or another brings two mugs at our table instead of one. '

The assassin barked a deep laughter.

'I am sure she can't be that bad.'

Leonardo looked over his shoulder inconspicuouslybut the woman was nowhere to be seen.

'Try saying that after days of riding with her through unpopulated areas. I am pretty sure I'll have enough time to rethink for at least a hundred times the town's planning…. And maybe, who knows, I'll even have the time to find a solution to my sketches of the assault chariot. At least she has a sharp mind and keen interest in my inventions.'

The grin on his friend's face grew. 'Assault carriage?'

The artist straightened in position, overly proud and ready to explain further his piece of idea when the ship jarred calamitously and robbed him of his entire security.

'_Ma che cielo __sta succedendo? ( What is going on here?)_ What was that? Are we sinking?'

'Not yet. And that was the rudder threatening to break.'

Leonardo jumped at the voice and spun around, not much in shock but in guilt.

'Don't sneak on people like that? How long have you been standing there?'

The woman stepped closer to the railing and without much interest towards the men she barely bended over to watch the weak lines of foam at the back of the ship.

Ezio arched an eyebrow but it seemed that only then her words sank into the artist's mind.

'What do you mean break?'

Out of reflex both men did the same as her, even if all that they could see was the back of the ship splitting the sea.

'Apparently this ship hasn't seen a work of maintenance in half a year and the junctions of the rudder should have been replaced 3 months ago; the owner of the caravel had a personal… disagreement with his banker and later with his engineer. So I guess we'll have to listen to this lovely sound each time the ship changes courses.'

For a second the concern seemed to leave the artist's face.

'When did you learn that?'

'I happened to_ accidentally_ overhear a couple of sailors around the ship.' Just this time her voice was almost sung instead of the usual monotone speech.

He shook his head.

'What was I thinking to ask you that in the first place?' The same moment he frowned and stared back at the stern as if the water could give him some answers. 'Is it even safe?'

The hood inclined showing that the woman was looking at him. But there was a pondering silence after.

'No. The stern could take damage at any time.'

At the almost bored intonation his eyes went wide.

'Then why are we here!? Had I known the ship would be in such a condition….'

'I actually remember mentioning you that it won't be in full agreement with your standards.'

'Standards have nothing to do with it! This is imprudence!'

'Leonardo….take a breath. Instead, I would recommend you to focus your concern over your belongings. The fact that the crew hasn't been paid for the last three weeks doesn't make them any gentle and welcoming.'

On his behalf the artist forgot about any sort of fear he might have nourished and let out a sigh of exasperation.

'What other bad news did you forget to mention since we got on this …ship?'

But before Shiva could shrug or Ezio express himself the sky above them let a thunder that covered all the other sounds.

'Great! As if water below my feet wasn't enough, now the sky is ready to send some more.'

He shook his head and stepped away to pick his sack, long forgotten on the deck. With that we left for the quarters mumbling about not leaving the side of his belongings until they'll set foot on steady ground.

Ezio, slightly amused, watched the man disappear behind the wooden door.

'Not a man for sea, is he?'

His eyes traveled slowly to the woman when his attempt to start o conversation seemed to fail.

She was simply standing there, with the cape covering her face, eyeing the same door.

'But you were mean, you know.' he turned around and leaned with his forearms on the rail.

After a moment of silence the woman barely looked over her shoulder at the see and at the dark sky before Ezio felt her body sent into motion, prepared to walk away.

When she turned to leave he chose to speak.

'You don't look very happy to see me.'

She stopped and let a moment of silence pass.

'Oh, but I am. Read it in my voice.'

He simply arched an eyebrow. She was being sarcastic, but it felt different from her usual sharp sarcasm; it was like she wasn't even bothering.

'The way you managed to get my ankle sprained and your chivalrous ways of caring me like a sack of potatoes gets me all giddy about your presence.'

He stopped himself from narrowing his eyes. Something was indeed off about her.

'Not to question your sensibilities but… you don't strike to me as the type to get annoyed over …incidents like those.'

He knew there was a battle inside her over the provocation in his words but apparently she decided not to take the insult.

'Should I go back and start counting from that one time when you pushed me from a speeding carriage?'

He winched. That was one memory that he wasn't particularly proud of himself. He stretched his back muscles while the weight of his body rested in only one forearm.

The assassin answered with silence as he stared into the distance. A lightening disappeared into the sea.

'Stop selling bullshit.'

Shiva kept quiet. But it was not her silence. She had no idea of how to react to his words.

'Since you found me on the ship you did your best to avoid me.'

For a second he felt her body tense. But with Shiva he couldn't know for sure. That cape was masking her body perfectly. It could have also been his imagination, his eyes registering her only to his left. But, on the other hand, he could have been right; he might have nailed it.

After a too long moment of silence her hand went to the hood and pulled it down. She shifted her weight on her left leg.

'Happy now?' But it was moments too late for him to believe her sarcasm. At that point he started wondering how many times had she been evading the truth using her sarcasm and fake lack of interest.

He kept his eyes on the void ahead of him.

'A little. You are not looking at me.'

He smiled in a weak line when he knew from the corner of his eyes that she had furrowed. But it was true; her eyes weren't going any higher than his jawline.

Her left hand barely rested on the rail.

It was then when she breathed a soft sigh almost as if she was giving up. Her head turned, finding fascination in the same space that Ezio seemed to be looking into.

She fully turned to place both her hands on the wooden surface. He literally saw her relax at the sight of the storm announcing waters.

'I heard that things didn't go as planned with the assassination of Barbarigo and his dog.'

He looked at her.

'Now that I think about it, I have been warned before.'

When he smiled her eyes narrowed in contemplation.

'It was not a warning. It had been just a question.'

'Peculiar.'

'Call it… intuition.'

Ezio stared at her. Her eyes were fixed on the line of the sky. He shouldn't have, but the tone is his voice came out deep and almost incriminatory. It was as if something inside him had wanted her to know. As the words flew he considered that he was doing nothing wrong. After all, when he had decided to embark on this ship, it had all been under the perspectives of settling things.

'Of course; you are a woman.'

It was time for him to free himself from the burden instead of running away. Being fair, and telling her a proper goodbye instead of just turning around and wishing to run out of the room and down the stairs.

Her eyes lowered to the wooden rail.

'What are you going to do now?'

He looked back at the sea.

'Waiting…for the time being. I have no idea when the ship will come back, but I'll make sure to be there when that happens and put an end to this once and for all.'

The woman nodded.

'That's what you said last time… and it got you nowhere…'

He couldn't help but turn his head at her. Shiva wasn't the person to give advices; he had all the signs in front of him but why was it so hard to understand what was happening?

'Is it-…' She stopped. 'Are you content…. with the way you approach this situation?'

'Shiva!'

Her eyes never left the spot she was staring into but she tilted her head, resting her check on her shoulder as a sign that she was listening.

'What exactly do you want to tell me?'

Even if his voice hardened hers was still light and distant as if she was still captivated by the expanse of water.

'What do I want…?'

Then she filled her lungs with fresh air and strengthened her back as if the spell was broken. But her course of thoughts also changed.

'Instead of killing and then asking questions...' her head was suddenly turned to him and her eyes glimmered with renewed interest and slyness. 'why not ask for answers first. Aren't you curious why all this is happening to you? Don't you want to know why the things had to evolve this way? What do they want, these people…. Aren't you even a bit curious why the ship went to Cyprus? What are they looking for there?'

Her face was radiating like he had never seen it before. The thought of knowing, of searching for answers, of learning secrets, was written in such a way in her expression and making her livelier than ever. So many thoughts went through his mind that moment but what he really came to understand was how much he envied her for her free spirit; the freedom, the desire for adventure. In the same time, it was a prickly sensation to his heart coming with the realization that making her stay, offering a place to settle down would dull her existence; it would eventually make her not very different from a captive animal.

He let out a short thoughtful laugher but before he could say anything, it was like she had sensed his negative answer and the quickness in her voice sounded, to his surprise, much like a begging.

'Let's go to Cyprus! Let's see what they want.' With each and every word the excitement behind them was growing. 'We can go beyond Cyprus; wherever unanswered questions will bring us.' There was a pause as she was searching deep through his hazel eyes. She tried a bigger, slyer smile. 'I can be your guide. I've been around those places before… and far beyond.'

He smiled. But it wasn't his smile. Unfortunately he knew what his final answer had to be.

'Weren't you supposed to have business in France?'

For an instant all that excitement seemed to void her face and she was tempted to look again at the sea. Eventually her golden eyes settled on his pauldron.

'I could… back away for a more interesting option… revealed down the way…' At that she allowed herself to watch the sky when another thunder roared above them. 'Some sort of change.

A bead of water fell on one of her cheeks. 'A change would do me good. You too...' her whispers were fading.

He closed his eyes and felt the urge to look at the sea.

'A change… does sound nice.'

Shiva eyed him expectedly.

'But I can't afford one now. Don't misunderstand me; I'd like to know what do I have to blame for this mess; I'd like to afford the time to understand. But I can't. And I don't have that time. I am an Assassin. There is still much to learn but… I have a pledge to fulfill; revenge to those who took the life of my father and brothers and safety to my mother and sister. I have to make sure they have no more reasons of fear, I have to make sure that there will be a day when I will return to them.'

'You don't see it do you?'

All that hope was now gone from her voice. The Shiva that had greeted him on the ship was almost back.

'You won't ever turn back to them. You are an Assassin. Things will never be as they were before.'

'I know.'

'I doubt it.' She sighed and with that she returned her attention to the sea.

He hated it. He hated saying no to her and without understanding why he felt guilty. For a moment he really wondered if this conversation had truly been about him. He stopped the urge of asking her what does she see when she looks at him. Could he count as a friend? Would she turn to him for help if she truly needed it?

'Maybe… after all is done… I'll hire you for such a journey. Though after Leonardo's warnings regarding your companionship qualities…'

She sneered and shook her head. Nevertheless she turned her face to watch him with an arrogant grin on her lips.

'Still killing first and asking later?'

All he could do in such a situation was to grin back.

'We all have our different ways.'

Her grin turned into a more pleasant smirk. For the record he knew that through time he had managed to work his charms deep inside her.

It felt like a mutual agreement to leave their differences of opinions aside and if that wasn't enough, under their feet the crackling wood let another hollow echo.

They wouldn't have admitted but their hands were unconsciously gripping the surface of the rail.

'Just to make sure… you do know how to swim?'

'How very thoughtful of you to ask me this years after you've made a hobby from pushing me off the roofs into the stinky water of the canale.'

She simply looked at him and he glared at her. 'Of course I can.'

'Good, because in case this thing is really going down, you'll be the one taking Leonardo.'

He arched an incredulous eyebrow her way. She looked back and shrugged her shoulders as if the logic in her words was infallible. 'What? He's a lousy swimmer.'

The first fraction of second they heard the sound of rain hitting the water. Before they were spared the chance to realize the situation a wall of water was falling over their shoulders. It must have passes some good seconds of sailors yelling and running around them, time in which they simply started at each other, before they started to sprint along the deck at a common, unspoken sign.

The heavy door slammed after them and two pair of eyes looked up to realize it was the officers' main storage room, where Leonardo was seated on a crate, near his own belongings, with ink and paper in his lap.

He stared at his two wet friends before he huffed and returned to his work.

'Serves you right.'

Ezio looked half puzzled and amused from the artist to the woman trying to figure out exactly where they were.

Shiva held his eyes, in the same state of daze caused by the rapidity of the events.

Out of the blue the room was filled with the musical laughter of the woman. Ezio chuckled at her reaction.

She stepped away from the door and unfastened her cape, swinging it off her shoulders and discarding it on one of the crates. The assassin proceeded to take down his spaulder and the cape that he had used to take cover from the rain.

Again they found themselves staring at each other, just partially wet, with rain occasionally dripping from their hair.

'Ah, better!'

But both laughed, still feeling the clothes sticking to their skin.

Shiva stepped closer to the artist who was too captivated by his work to bother with them. She bent and watched over his shoulders, down to the papers he was scribbling.

'Ah, are those some sort of scythes?'

'Shiva!' Leonardo jumped and arched his back protecting his work. 'Watch yourself! You're dripping all over my papers!'

The woman simply grinned and left him to his own business.

She looked around the room: at the crates, the objects, the walls… she was pacing in circles around the chamber, fully dressed in wood, with the only door leading outside, and an entrance to the long corridor with the sailors' quarters on one side and the cargo rooms to the other.

Ezio eyed her with pure amusement. She was going to break soon.

And it started with a sigh.

'We're stuck here, aren't we? This is going to bor-'

'Shiva.'

She turned at him with her hands on her hips.

'Come here.' He nodded towards the crate near him.

A little confused she obeyed. When she was standing in front of him he grabbed her by the shoulders and seated her on the crate. With hands still in position he looked into her eyes as if he was preparing himself to talk to a child.

'I know this is going to be hard for you but you have to try and stay in one place. Under the careful watch of Leonardo or myself.'

'You have to be joking.'

'And careful with the hands. We don't want the captain complaining about missing values.'

As to stress his point he took her hands and put them in her lap.

'Step back this instant before I'll give you a black eye.'

Keeping himself from laughing he straightened his back. The room was indeed offering little. Shiva surely was in a lot of pain.

They spent some moments of silence, both agreeing that the most fascinating thing around was Leonardo mumbling to himself.

In that heavy silence a strange line of noises reached their ears. When Ezio looked at Shiva she was long trying to place them. The sounds became loud enough to make Leonardo interrupt his work and look at them. It was starting to sound much like yelling and objects hitting the floor, and it was coming from down the corridor. Ezio spared Shiva a look. Her eyes were fiery with interest.

He narrowed his eyes.

'Shivaaaa….'

But the same instant she jumped and made a run for the entrance.

'I'll go have a look.'

'Shiva that's none of our business so we should- '

'Stop her-'

But she was long swallowed by the darkness of the corridor.

Ezio arched an eyebrow at the artist.

'Be my guest to try.'

They waited patiently as the noises got louder and approaching them with an unnerving speed.

'I think you should…'

'Yes,… I probably should.'

But Ezio made only one step towards the corridor when the sound of Shiva's laughter sent him to steps backwards.

_'__Signorina__,_ please be careful!'

His eyes narrowed.

The sound of running steps was approaching them as various voices were set on insults.

He didn't like it one bit and showed it to Leonardo through the horrified look he was throwing his way. It was then when the most screechy cry rang through their ears and a storm of green flew from the darkness into the room past Ezio's head. He had time just to blink before Shiva's laughter came from his proximity and his body was pushed aside.

'Shiva! What is this!?'

As Leonardo jumped on his feet Ezio's vision focused on his colorful attacker, a flamboyant but scared to death peacock, running around the room with a hunter-like Shiva on its tail.

His eyes grew in stupefaction at the unbelievable sight in front of him. The peacock was crying its lungs out, in search for a corner of safety, jumping over crates and packages, with Shiva launching after the poor creature, occasionally pulling green feathers in her catch, and a desperate 14 years old looking boy behind her half asking her to get the animal half wishing she would stop torturing it.

Leonardo wasn't acting very different in this hell, to his defense.

'Shiva! Get this animal out of the room!'

Horror was taking over his expression as he saw the animal turn in its flight on the wall and jump its way to him.

'Shivaaa! Do not shoo that thing this waaaa—' but all he could do was to watch in morbid petrification the bird landing on his papers and leaping off when Shiva jumped after it, sending the paper and ink to the ground in a total chaos.

His lower lip trembled in anger and stupefaction.

Her crystalline laughter lifted through the room again and Ezio saw the animal run right at him.

'Ezio! Catch it!'

But he dared not to move at the sight of the woman coming his way like an arrow. The animal had time to run through his legs when his mind turned into a state of alert. He didn't know what hit him first. The sight of Shiva's left arm extended right through his legs or her left shoulder well implanted into a much sensitive part of his body.

'Shiva!'

The bird let out a long cry.

'Aha! Ezio, don't move!'

He had no idea what she was trying to accomplish but he felt the urge to bend forward over her crouched body. She pushed further into his lower body and between the mixture of powerful sensations and tremendous thoughts webbing his mind he saw through his narrowed eyes her arms circling his thigh and her hands fighting for a grip at the edges of the peacock's long feathers.

He gripped her by the back of the vest.

'A- little… more…'

'Shiva -'

'Don't move! I'm… '

Her shoulder pushed harder into his groin.

His eyes snapped open.

'Shiva!'

His hands went around her waist and with a critical move he spun her up, off her feet and away from any dangerous or even fictively stimulating position.

'What the hell, Shiva!'

But her eyes were on the bird.

'Damn it.'

She freed herself and continued her pursue.

The creature skipped along the floor and after hitting it hard, scratched itself up with the claws and sprinted back towards Ezio.

With a furious move he dropped his hand after it and in an instant the animal was immobilized and picked up by its wings.

Shiva stopped right in front of him with the biggest grin on her face.

'Thank you."

To both the boy that arrived on spot near the lifted peacock passed unnoticed.

Ezio narrowed his eyes at the woman but if he thought he had reasons good enough to yell at her for the childish behavior her actions had yet a lot more to trigger.

She brought her hands to the poor animal's legs and begun to unfasten the message strapped there.

'Shiva, what exactly are you doing?'

'Hold it still. I've been trying to get my hands on this damn letter since this fellow flew over my shoulder in the corridor.'  
'Shiva-'

But she pulled the letter and stepped away from them.

The boy's eyes grew wide in horror.

'Please_signorina_… that is…'

_'_Shiva, that's private! You can't just pry into someone else's lives!'

All that she did was to let out an unladylike sneer and only then Ezio realized how idiotically he must have sounded telling that to a thief.

Leonardo was busy collecting his papers but looked with sincere pity at the poor boy conflicted between asking for the animal and retrieving the letter. And said animal wasn't very comfortable judging by the crying and the struggle. Then Ezio, without much consideration dropped the bird that had caused such a ruckus and the all too unfortunate child jumped at the bird to stop it from running again.

'Give that letter back.'

Even so he stood there and watched Shiva carefully opening the rolled up paper.

The boy ran, holding the animal to his chest.

_'Signorina_ please, t' young master was so kind t' me…it's enough that I left 'is gift run away, please give me t' letter…'

He begged approaching her but as she snapped the letter opened, with her other hand pinned on his forehead she kept the miserable boy away.

Her face twisted in various comical ways as she read the content.

'Seriously…a love letter?' She arched an eyebrow at the boy.

His cheeks were slightly turning red.

'It's for a signorina in Padova.'

She looked down at him.

'And who are you?'

'I'm a helper, here on t'ship. I work with mei father; he's a seaman. He tol' me to leave dis dam' thing on its own but the young master gave good coins. And he looked so down the boat, all red and full o'hopes. Coundn't let 'im down. He was a good man.'

For a moment her superior arched eyebrow fell and a simple smile took over her lips.

'You aren't from these parts, are you, lad?'

At the sound of familiar slang the boy grinned relaxed.

'No, mam! The old man and myself are from far north.'

She nodded and to his misfortune her attention was back on the letter.

'Gah, this guy is delusional if he thinks he can ever woo a woman with so much rubbish… The only thing he might stir up is the urge to have a fit of laughter.'

'Shiva… put that letter down. It's not your business. And could you at least filter your words?'

She glared at him and then looked back at the letter and cleared her voice.

'My most precious ray of sun,'.. she peeked at him 'How's that for a starter?'

He narrowed his eyes.

'Each and every second my heart is poisoned by the thought of your beauty… bla, bla, nonsense, nonsense, self-embarrassment… the most beautiful flowers pale in comparison with your eyes , limited vocabulary,'

Involuntary Ezio winched…. It was terrible.

'Oh, hear this!' She jumped and turned to Ezio.

'The way your eyes sparkle in the moonlight, the way your hair glows in the sun are like a spell set on my soul. You' are the warm drop of ray who brings me back to life after a cold dead winter. You-'

'Alright, alright! Stop! I got it! Lame writing; no need to torture us all. But stop being that witty about it. It's a normal thing to be in love and write letters that you'll later come to regret. We have all gone through the experience of the first love.' He stopped. 'Actually, forget about that… you are a freak of nature; you can't possible understand that.'

She whisked the paper through the air.

'Ooooh… an _you_ can.'

He was very close to bark out an 'of course' but something in her voice was screaming at him to back off.

'What's with that look?'

'Well, after all this is your game. And you are the one always to brag about how people deserve better. So come on _maestre_, teach this bad egg the art of doing good deeds.'

'What are you – '

But she was on her way to him, pushing the letter into his hands.

'You are going to rewrite the letter.'

'What!? No.'

The boy ran to them.

'No, please. _Signorina,_ give me t' letter and I'll leave dis room on instant.'

'Shiva, this is stupid. I am not going to do such thing.'

The woman turned her back and marched to Leonardo.

'Do you need these?'

He looked at the now picked up ink bottle and the plume.

'Not until I'll reara-'

'Thank you.'

With that she took them and before returning to the other side of the room she snatched a piece of paper from his hands.

The artist eyed her in annoyance but let it pass.

'I didn't say you can take them.'

She smashed them on the crate and with her foot she hit closer a smaller package to replace a chair.

'There. Now you have everything you need.'

'Shiva – no. I am not going to do it. I can't do it.'

She narrowed her eyes in confusion and glanced at the letter. Then her face radiated with understanding.

'Of course; you're right. I'll write, you'll come up with the words. Let me have a look at the letter.'

He watched her in confusion. She took the letter and pushed him aside to take a seat on the improvised chair.

'Give me some time to get the writing right.'

Ezio couldn't believe her determination to do such a juvenile thing.

He sighed.

'Shiva, this is –'

'Don't speak until you have come with an idea of what to put down on paper.'

The boy blew some feathers away from his face and while he secured the bird in his arms he stared at her with big eyes.

'She's a scary woman.'

Ezio shock his head and huffed, showing him that he had no idea of how right he had been about it.

Meanwhile, Shiva was either ignoring them or she was too caught in her air writing.

She straightened her back and looked up at them with piercing eyes.

'Good. I'm listening!'

Ezio stared. He was not amused.

'I'm not doing this.'

Her shoulders fell.

'Come on, I am quite convinced it won't be a difficult task for you. After all you are a ladies man. You must have your ways of throwing them into your bed.'

'Shiva, there's a kid next to you.'

She looked unfazed.

'The boy is working his days on a ship. I am pretty sure he can easily win over you in a contest of indecent words.'

She grinned at the smaller man, and the grin was returned with some sort of pride, revealing the black spot of a missing tooth on the upper row.

'So, back to our work; there has to be something more about you than a simple eye contact to get the ladies playing around your fingers.'

'I'd say looks help'im a lot!'

'Hey, on whose side are you, midget?'

The boy didn't answer but put his lips in a line when Shiva puffed amused.

Ezio leaned on a nearby crate and couldn't believe that he was actually thinking at what to say in the letter.

Once again he let out a long sigh.

'My beloved … what's her name?'

Shiva shook her head.

'We have no name.'

'Fine...impartial…: My beloved,'

Shiva dipped the plume into the ink and was prepared to write down.

'No! Beloved,'

Shiva exchanged an amused look with the boy at the sudden serious attitude of the man. After that she proceeded to look down and write, only if to hide her humour.

Ezio knew he was doomed to humiliation so he chose to keep his eyes closed not to see the faces of those ungrateful human beings.

'The distance put between us has conjured me to break the silence.'

Shiva's lips trembled.

'The nights seem longer and the days hard to bear without your smile as a companion.'

The boy whistled.

'Uuuu…crocky.'

'Shut up, midget.'

'Name's Walter, Sir.'

'They may seem not proper and rather hypocritical, these words of mine but even having you far from my reach my feelings do not for a second weaver and they grow stronger yet with every passing hour.'

The sound of the quill scratching the paper was the only thing heard in the all too silent room. It was long known to Ezio that Shiva was fighting back smart remarks but now the boy was about to giggle also and Leonardo was eyeing them from time to time.

'All that I ask of your heart is to accept these firing feelings locked in my chest –'

'Really?'

He opened his eyes at the all too amused Shiva. From under her lashes she was eyeing him with skepticism. 'And_this_ gets you under a woman's dress?'

Ezio started blankly at her.

'Shiva, we have long agreed that as far as your ladylike skills go you are a disaster. I do not expect you to understand the importance of reaching a woman's heart through words. And no, this, does not get me under a woman's skirt. This is how a sincere lover should address to his significant one. Now, let me do the job that you insisted upon, shut up and do your part without interrupting.'

Her eyes grew considerably at the sudden lecture and she obeyed immediately. Even so she couldn't stop herself from mumbling of how lame she was finding it.

On his behalf, Ezio knew that for a man of his age this was indeed very lame. But from the real letter the writer could not have been older than 17-18 years; so he couldn't phrase it very mature. Nevertheless, he didn't want to. There was a pinch of fear to use whatever words he felt like using. It felt awkward and not entirely right to their situation.

'So, do please, as you find it rightful. Answer back to this troubled heart of mine and be my soul's salvation or sent me to the steps of the purgatory with your silence, never to lay my eyes on your bewitching smile.'

'Eww, mushy.'

Shiva nodded to her new found ally.

'Why not just beautiful?'

The woman brought the tip of the feather to her lips and considered the boy's words.

'Women do like to feel special so it can't be a plain word….enticing?'

Ezio raised an eyebrow at her in satire.

_'_Pulchritudinous.'

Three heads turned to the artist, to find him quite caught in their childish activities.

'Pulchaaa-what?'

Shiva turned to watch the boy twisting his tongue trying to come up with the same word as the artist. She looked at him with fake horror.

'Yeah…my point exactly… ' She shook her head and returned to the paper in front of her. She blinked a couple of times. 'Bewitching sounds just fine.'

Leonardo threw a sound of indignation and returned to his sketches. 'Ignorance.'

'Yours to hold…'

'Hey, what are you doing?' Ezio jumped at her spelling.

Shiva looked at him with a grin on her lips.

'What, now you want to be creative?'

His eyes deepened and the grin was returned.

'I was just amazed by your sudden inspiration with words.'

She looked back at the letter.

'They sounded right to me.'

With that she added the name and put the quill aside.

She rolled the letter and attached it back to the now tired peacock.

'There. Now put this creature where it belongs.'

'Ay, mam!'

The boy stepped away and marched to the exit. Shiva got up.

He was about to step into the corridor but he froze. When he turned around he was gripping hard the leg with the letter and eyeing her with gigantic green eyes.

'Mam, I think you accident- '

The boy was slowly opening his fist.

'Scram before I kick you out myself.'

If possible his eyes got bigger in astonishment but in a single second a tempest of emotions transfigured his face, ending in the richest smile his freckled cheeks could handle.

The animal let out a pitiful cry as the boy had completely forgot of its existence in his arms and jumped in a deep bow.

'Thank you, madam!'

With that he arched back up and sprinted down the corridor juggling the traumatized bird.

Ezio stared at the place where the happy boy once stood.

'What was that about?'

Shiva turned to him not bothering to make the question believable.

'What was what about?'

When he glanced at Leonardo he caught the artist smiling knowingly but not lifting his eyes from the papers.

'Ah! You know what? You're right. It does feel good - this business with helping people.'

He eyed her suspiciously.

'What makes your heart skip is the fact that you got it your way and meddled into other's personal matters. It has nothing to do with helping someone.'

She took some steps around the room and turned to him while letting her body fell on a closed chest.

'Now that you mentioned personal matters...' she rested her back on the wall and grinned at him. 'I do believe you have something of mine.'

Ezio gazed at her in pure confusion.

Her grin was getting bigger and smarter with each word.

'Something small…'

'..something round….'

Ezio's eyes flickered is sharp and horrified understanding.

'...someting green…'

The brooch. That instant he felt it burn at his belt.

That night in the atelier. He had no idea why at that moment it had felt so right to take it. He had been convinced that they weren't going to see each other for a long time and shortly after he had come to be comfortable about the idea of taking the brooch. What excuse would he have?

But her grin helped his situation a lot.

So he smiled innocently.

'I have no idea what you are talking about.'

She tilted her head in amusement.

'Doesn't something bother you in the left pouch of your belt? Nothing strangely heavy?'

He brought his hand to the pouch and searched its insides. He felt the brooch and got it out, gripping it between his thumb and index finger.

'Oh what do you know? How strange? How did it end up here?'

She lowered her head to look at him from under her eyelashes.

He smirked.

'I clearly remember putting it inside the other pouch.'

She huffed at his mockery and crossed her legs.

'Now, I have the duty of asking for it back nicely at first.'

He played the piece of jewelry between his fingers. There was something strange and exciting about this conversation.

'So be a gentleman and return it.'

He sighed happily and took a seat next to her.

'And what if I don't.'

'Then I might have to resort to violence.'

He nodded as if he was considering the possibly.

Then a challenging smile took over his features.

'I'd love to see that.'

For a second her smile faded and she glanced at the brooch protected in his hand.

She glared back into his eyes.

If he wouldn't have known Shiva, by now the brooch could have been hers. Only the fact that he had been prepared for her move saved him , because with the speed of a dart she threw her arm after the brooch in the most unexpected moment. Yes, Shiva was a dirty player and a cheater. Who could blame her; force was not one of her good points.

He liked it; this game they had started and that brought them to the current situation. His arm was fully extended to his right and Shiva had snapped after it, bringing them so close one to another. It was exciting in the least.

He laughed with a warm breath in her nose. Her eyes narrowed, unhappy that her trick had failed. His laugher only got huskier as he glanced down, at his thighs.

'Watch your hand.'

She spared a quick look and arched her eyebrow unimpressed before launching again and gripping his wrist.

Instinctively he tightened the grip on the brooch as she jumped on her feet in front of him, bringing their hands between them and bending over, trying to unclench his fist.

When she realized she was at disadvantage she spun on her right foot and took back her seat, pulling his arm with her, trying to bend it awkwardly.

He was finding hard to contain his laughter at her performance as she was now punching his fist with hers.

'Let! Go!'

She reminded him of a child playing with rocks. It did hurt a little but she was too funny to watch in her storm of tactics to unclench his hand.

He pulled his arm back to his chest, consequently pulling the stubborn woman with it.

She was trying to lock his arm under her armpit and unclench the fist, finger by finger.

His laugher ceased but he was left with a smile of contentment.

He was done avoiding it. He had feelings for Shiva. Feelings he couldn't quite place, still they were there. But that was not a reason good enough to risk this. To risk losing a friend. His situation was complicated. At times he was feeling overwhelmed with the burden that life had thrown on his shoulders. He had no intention to drag others through the same misfortune; especially people like Shiva.

His arm was shaking under her attacks.

Shiva, who hates taking sides or being involved in problems that are not hers. Shiva, who only knows how to be loyal to herself.

He started to laugh when he thought he felt her teeth on the skin of his hand.

He wanted this to mean something. He wanted her to know that she has someone to turn to; a place where she could come back to no matter what she has done, no matter what she was made of. He knew it was too much to ask from her, but he wished she could be less of a stray animal and relate to his family as to a home. He knew that she fit. He had failed his brother once and he didn't want to repeat the mistake. He had thought that once they were on the ship he could tell her. But only now he realized how hard was to ask that of her.

At this precise moment all he wanted was to be able to look into her eyes without regrets. To be able to act normally around her and unaffected by the mistake he was facing.

The chaotic movement stopped. She sighed and straightened, letting her back fall, half on the wall half on his shoulder.

She didn't look happy.

Ezio laughed.

'Giving up?'

With a pout she looked down at his strongly closed hand, held by hers in her lap.

Then her eyes shot fire at him. Before he knew her foot was up and down in the same second crushing on his.

He hissed at the pain, bent forward but refused to lose the grip now that her attacks were back. She was about to lift his fist and crush it on the wood of the chest when desperate shouts reached their ears.

In a heartbeat the most howling roar came from under their feet, echoing through the entire ship and sending it in a dangerous motion to the left, throwing them off their seats and to the ground.

Shiva covered her head from the flying objects. The ship seemed to continue its catastrophic slip out of position but it stopped not a moment too soon.

The woman pushed her upper body up with her arms. The ship was slowly regaining position.

'What the hell was that!?'

The assassin narrowed his eyes and was the first to try and stand.

He glared at the entrance of the corridor.

'Trouble.'


	22. fall apart in your hands

**Author's Note**: I am entirely sure that by now even those great people that had been following this story have lost their interest. Never the less, I am still struggling with the last chapters of the first part of this story. (it is so very close to the end) It has indeed been a long time, so long that even I was skeptical of this story receiving a new chapter. But here it is. I can only hope it will grip you interest as the rest of the story has done.

I find myself in the need to explain some things before moving on. The one scene, key to this chapter, came out more dramatically than I have expected. Initially it should have had just a heavy, languorous atmosphere but I guess my own mood inflicted on the story. I simply hope the scene itself won't feel awkward and out of character. I find it perfectly fitting. The story is evolving and things can't stay simple anymore. I guess at some point silence hurts; and things left unsaid can create monsters, and they can have ugly consequences. If you find this story good enough to awake your interest please help me motivate myself to write more. I have this feeling that I am missing something, and my writing cannot express everything as it should.

On a side note, I relate this moment of the story with the beautiful lyrics of **'**_**Sundrenched World'**_by **Joshua Radin**. **Flyngcrispi **(who has been a constant boost for my desire to finish the story with each and every chapter updated) has once asked me about Shiva's POV. It's not here yet and will not be for quite some time (but there is planned an entire chapter filled with her thoughts). Instead please take these lyrics as an insight to her world. Things have definitely changed for her since the doge's death and even more so after seeing Ezio coming after her at _Madame's. _These final chapters will actually be the only ones in which both Shiva and Ezio will create a good balance before their roles will create a mirror effect and places will be almost switched. The one that used to pull will start pushing and vice-versa.

Thank you for putting up with me and this long speech. May you spend your winter holydays in the most pleasant way.

Cheers,

Lexa

* * *

_**Capitolo ventidue**_

* * *

Shiva got on her feet and carefully made her way to the artist.

The man was trying to pick himself up but apart from the red spot on his forehead he seemed fine. She grabbed him from under his right arm and pulled him up. The woman was sure that with the shock, his trembling legs were still causing him trouble in standing up.

'Are you alright?'

'Fine, fine.'

She arched an amused eyebrow at the man in denial but said nothing. Instead her attention was back on the assassin.

He was looking around at the mess.

After Leonardo pulled his arm out of the woman's grip he looked around after his red hat. The thief was now eyeing the exit.

'Voices are rising again.'

'Let's go and have a look.'

They made their way to the door, still awkwardly stepping on the unsteady floor.

Shiva kept looking back at the artist. Leonardo, in a permanent state of alert was half crawling along the walls. Still he frowned at her.

'I'm fine, I told you!'

Ezio smirked but did not turn to watch the two.

As they approached the end of the corridor the voices from the lower levels were reaching them more clearly through the opened space of the staircase.

The words that were starting to shape were unnerving him and by the way Shiva's body suddenly tensed it only confirmed his fears.

They went down the shadowed stairs with Shiva constantly checking on the artist, much to his annoyance.

Not far from the below deck the three of them knew one thing for sure: the rudder had broken.

They barely made their way to the hold, though the running men. Ezio froze and Shiva had to stop too.

He looked down in horror to his feet hit by the cold of the water.

Ahead of them was an image of chaos: sailors yelling, running, holding torches and long cloths, hitting crates out of their way. In this anarchic scenery it took minutes for someone to realize their unfitting presence.

_'__Passeggeri! Che diavolo state facendo qua?'_ (Passengeres! What the devil are you doing here?) It didn't take an expert to know that the fuming man was in charge with the ship.

'Captain! You seem to be facing some problems here.'

The man eyed with a debating gaze Ezio's extended hand. But after moments his entire frame relaxed in approval and accepted the salute. The assassin knew from the beginning that a firm approach would be exactly what the man was in need of at the moment.

He shook his head.

' 'Problems' is an understatement. The rudder had finally given in because of the pressure. I kept repeating to Domenico that the ship can't be sent on sea without at least patching the main problems. But he went on with the need to pay his men, that stubborn man; shouted that they would leave the work on board of his ships.' The sailor sighed and once again, in a tired gesture, he shook his head. 'Now his men might end up running to the boats to save their lives.'

'Do you have any idea of what the damages are?'

He looked over his shoulder.

'The joints of the rudder snapped; and by the way the ship almost flipped I'd say the right side of the rudder is also broken; it's possible that a large part of it is now floating behind us. What's worse is that the hit produced some creaks in the basin. Now the men are trying to knock new planks to cover the creaks but the water is clogging the work.'

The assassin took a firm decision.

'Then let's see how we can solve the situation. Let me see the damages and maybe if we coordinate the men better we might be faster than the water.'

Of course, taking advices from a passenger must have been a hard thing to do but Ezio always had an assuring effect over people; and the captain was no different. He nodded in acceptance but then his eyes fell on Shiva.  
'About the woman…'

Ezio frowned.

'She's with me.'

The man tensed and threw her a look far from pleasant. 'Of course, but, you see… my men won't feel comfortable with her presence down here. I would appreciate if you would send her back to the quarters.'

He really didn't like the way he was talking about Shiva but it wouldn't have been wise to do something about it. He didn't know her and as far as rules go women will only be a hindrance to men's work. But before he had the chance to say anything Shiva's character showed up.

'Don't worry. If this wreck sinks I wouldn't want your men to blame it on the bad luck of a woman on board.' She then looked at Ezio. 'I'll go back with Leonardo; make sure he won't panic at everything.'

'I am right here, thank you.'

'Come on, there is no time to lose.' The man took Ezio by his shoulder and pushed him away. Leonardo seemed the only one to protest but Shiva gripped his tunic and pulled him back the way they came.

The assassin looked at them one more time. He didn't feel comfortable, knowing how infuriated Shiva must have actually been, but the truth was that there was no time for anything at all now, except for keeping the ship from going down.

Soon, he came to realize that it was not necessarily the water sinking the ship but the men and the chaos they were creating.

* * *

After more than one hour the situation seemed to finally turn in their advantage. He had to order men around nevertheless but it was a small price. An entire row was made to pass pails in and out the rooms to throw the water away while others were nailing and patching the cracks. He was exhausted; he had to move fast and faster than fast; he had to lift weights and face the force of the water. Now his eyes hurt from the mixture of water and wood powder. He straightened his hurting back and wanted to wipe his eyes with his sleeve but when he brought the arm up he only wanted to swear at the feeling of rough leather.

'Damn….' He considered unfastening the weapons since thanks to his state they felt no different than cuffs. He heard a faint sound of steps down the stairs. Before he had the time to look up she spoke.

'Give me those. I'll bring them up.'

There she was, a hand on the wall, but up enough on the stairs, not to step in the water again. He looked behind, at the working men; a moment of rest he should allow himself; and with that he approached her, stopping with his feet in the water and looking up from underneath her. Before he spoke the man took a moment to actually see her in that dark. She didn't look tired but there was a pensive shadow over her features. Even her hand was barely touching the wall as if she was ready to step back at any time. He couldn't place it. She had been acting as if she had something to say but lacked the courage. And he had this feeling from the very beginning of the trip.

He stared back at the blades before gripping the straps and pulling them off. He took off his glove also and didn't stop until his wet tunic was down. With all these he burdened Shiva. He threw a weak smile her way and was content to find her accepting it, humoured.

'How are things?'

'Not that great but at least now the water is not moving faster than us anymore. We are not going to sink. The captain said that with what with have and the current weather we might reach the shore in the morning.' He paused and searched for her eyes. 'What about you? How are things on the upper levels?'

'Leonardo has finally consumed his energy and stopped coming up with dreadful scenarios; all in all we're fine. He actually sent me down here to make him a report over the situations. I couldn't convince him to leave his luggage so I guess he'll spend the rest of the journey near those crates in the hall.' Maybe the events have drained everyone of powers because a weak smile was the only thing that even she could come up with. 'He offered me his room for the night and who am I to say no.' She tilted her head. 'Maybe you should come up too and take a rest after you finish here. A bed would do you good.'

He lowered his head to hide his smile but looked up at her instead, to let her know of his amusement.

'I bet he'll complain about his back when he'll wake up from between those crates.'

_'__Meserre,_ the captain wants a word with you.'

Ezio looked over his shoulder at the sailor and then back at the woman. At her smart smile he simply nodded and backed away.

'Third door on the left in the captain's quarters.' She tightened the grip on the wet objects in her hands and turned around, up the stairs.

It must have been really late in the night when he found himself carrying his tired body down the dark corridor. At first he was determined to go and join Leonardo on the crates but his muscles were burning. He was still considering the idea but when he had to pass right in front of the room he felt his back begging for a bed and gave in to temptation. At first he pushed the doorknob slowly not to make any sounds in case Shiva was inside and sleeping. It was a good thing that his eyes were adjusted to the darkness because he immediately spotted her body lying on the bed. He stopped in the doorway. The poor wooden bed was not the smallest he had ever seen but she was already spread over more than half of it. He decided to turn around but a lone thought took over him. She was sleeping. He had never seen her sleeping. Not even during the nights they had shared the apartment in Venetia. And yet, here she was. He stepped in, driven by curiosity and slowly closed the door but not enough to click shut. He was afraid that even his own breath would wake her up. Gently he approached the bed but didn't dare to bend down. He closed his eyes and thought how twisted he might look. He smiled and suppressed his small laughter. He should stick to the initial plan but instead he found himself pivoting on his heels and taking a seat on the chair near the bed. He passed his hand in front of his eyes and tried to relax. His shirt was wet. His boots were wet. Even his pants were wet up to his knees. He should leave; he should go and take those off if he wanted his health strong. He let his head on the wall and looked back at her face. He couldn't. He wanted to stay there and watch her until she would wake up. Looking at her he realized how people always seem serene in their sleep.

He would watch her for as long as she would let him; we will watch her until she will open her eyes and call him weird. But his eyelids fell before he had the time to realize that what he had now was actually the image of her locked on his mind.

* * *

He furrowed his eyebrows. There was warmth tickling his nose and cheeks and disturbing his peace. Against his will he had to force the eyelids up, ready to meet the cold darkness of the room. Instead he stared into two deep citrine orbs. His eyes widened but that was the only reaction his tired body let him execute. He traced down to the lips and recognized the source of the warm breath. Shiva's face was merely centimeters away from his and she was staring at him with her wide eyes. Even from such a small distance he managed to see the smile starting to form on her lips.

'You are a lousy sneaker.'

He closed his eyes as powerful as he could, trying to wash the sleep away. He wanted to actually express the shock of finding her nose to nose with him but his body had other ideas. It seemed as if it was refusing to work. He wanted to ask what the hell was wrong with her. And to think he considered himself to be a weird person for staring at her sleeping from afar.

'How long have I been sleeping?'

'An hour maybe…'

Something was wrong. He was trying to shake his head and with it the sleep but nothing seemed to work. He felt dizzy and disorientated.

'Come on, get up.'

She stepped away and he wanted to do as said but he managed to lift his body only after he found support to the sides of the chair. When he tried to stand up the muscles of his back wanted to make him scream in pain and it took him longer than expected to fully get on his feet. Shiva's image was blurred and he couldn't understand why after so much time he still couldn't focus. He barely took a step and Shiva came closer, directing him with his back to the bed. He though he heard her chuckle and tried to distinguish a smile on her face. She was really close, so close that he only tilted his head to smell her hair. Realizing what he was doing he demanded to his mind to fully wake up but instead he felt more numb.

'What the hell is happening?' Even his words were barely making their way out.

'I guess it's something similar to what we, French people, call _Mal de débarquement__. _But apparently it hit you while still on boat. It may be because of the atmosphere from the hold and your exhaustion.'

'Does that include dizziness and inability to wake up?'

At his silly and unfocused words he thought she smiled again. The breath on his neck certainly felt warmer.

'Maybe. And you must also watch for a headache. I heard they are rather painful.'

It was as if she had summoned it because he feared that it had already started. With heavy eyes he looked down at her, barely realizing that he felt like his body was being shaken. He tried to find the reason. His upper body was sending mixed signals to his benumbed brain. Now that he nailed it, it did feel as if he was drunk. There were chills running from his chest and neck and he tilted his head the other way to look down, between them.

There was no space left. She smelled so nice. Her face was in his neck. Her body was so close that it was actually the only thing that was sustaining his. And he had finally found the reason of those sensations. Those long fingers. He tried to concentrate on them as they were unbuttoning his wet shirt. He watched them trace down along his torso and pull the shirt out of his belt. He swallowed and licked his lips. His eyelids felt heavier than ever. There was something he knew he should do but didn't know what. And he felt as if he didn't want to know.

'What are you doing?'

The woman started to unstrap the belt.

'I am taking your clothes off.'

He tried to open his eyes wider and demanded his brain to work and help his mouth.

'No.' He made an attempt to put his body into motion but did nothing to actually stop her.

'Stay still if you don't want to spend your time on shore with a doctor.'

In a slow motion she caressed his cheek with her forehead and let out a hot breath.

'You already have a fever. It's not from a cold through; probably from the sea sickness. They are rare symptoms but you spent enough hours in that hell full of germs down there.'

He continued to watch with strange obedience and pleasure her hands across his chest. They were moving with a slow and agonizing pace up and down. Her breath was tickling his neck and below. All he could see of her was her hair as her head was down, her eyes tracing her own hands. Were they? He wanted it to be like that.

'Can you get off your boots?'

It was a strange whisper. He licked his lips one more time and wanted to bend. But a sharp pain darted his head. Instead he almost let his head on hers and with one foot he tried to block the boot from his other foot to the ground. He started to pull. Her body was enough of a support and she pushed more into him to sustain his own. If he really needed more support he would have put his hands over her shoulders but he did no such thing. He let his body heavily on her and his hands pushed hardly against her hips.

Would she step away if he were to let his head fall on her shoulder?

She held her ground. It was funny how he couldn't master his own body but he still felt the muscles of her legs tensing to hold him.

Would she back off from him if he were to search the skin of her neck and ear with his lips and nose?

She tilted her head to make more space.

He went for the other boot but his foot was too numb to do the same.

'I can't.'

She said nothing but looked down to their feet.

'The boot.'

He raised his head to watch her. Would she go down? He felt her hands going lower, to his pants and his body sent new signs to his brain.

Another sharp pain took over his head and it shook him to his senses even if for a moment.

'Stop.'

But she was slowly bending her knees to reach his legs.

His breath sharpened and it only managed to lift more fog from his conscience.

'Stop.' He tried to breathe it out more forcefully. His senses were awakening and only now he felt the effect she had on him.

She was almost down when he bent after her, desperately gripping the back of her shirt to bring her up before she would notice.

'Stop; stop!'

That got her attention and she followed the weak attempt of his hands to get her to stand. He didn't know what to do first; to push her away or to bring his hands to his hurting head.

She looked into his eyes with concern.

'Is it the headache?'

He was panicked. He wanted to say yes but his head wouldn't let him. She pushed closer to grip his hands over his head and before he had the chance to lie to her she felt it. He knew because she stopped from whatever she wanted to do and simply locked her eyes on his, void of any expression. He didn't want to know what she was thinking either. Like that he looked away and with both hands on her arms he pushed her away.

She broke the contact but he felt her eyes lingering down to his groin before stepping away and finding her way to the bed. She climbed in and went behind him, near the wall. He refused to turn and look at her. He was now awake but he wondered if it would have been better if he wasn't. He didn't want to know what he would have been capable of doing with his reason fogged like that but at least he wouldn't have felt his current embarrassment. Slowly, not to trigger another headache he let his body down until he was safely sitting on the edge of the bed. He brought his hands to knead his forehead. What was he supposed to do now? He was still dizzy, with a great headache and he had no way to explain to her his behavior; the images that he had in the head moments ago; his stupid imagination taking advantage of her damned sexual unawareness.

This silence was burning him. She was literally making no sound; she wasn't moving or even flinching.

'I could… help you with that.'

His head snapped up and he cursed at the instant pain. It had been so sudden that he wasn't sure he had heard her right; if she had spoken at all. He turned his head just enough to watch her from the corner of his eye.

In that darkness she was all curled up in the upper corner of the bed, against the wall of the room. She was looking down, probably at her feet, making it harder to believe that she had indeed spoken.

But then she looked up, ahead of her, at nothing in particular.

'It's not like you can do anything about it. Not many options on this ship…unless...you… get rid of it... yourself.'

Now that there was no doubt about it he wished it had been just his imagination. He fully turned his head to his left, still not looking directly at her. He had no idea of what to say; how to react. He was poorly put - shocked and speechless. His ears were itching as he was starting to panic.

When he said nothing she herself felt more embarrassed at the silence than at the idea and he felt it in her words.

'It's not that big deal.'

At that he thought he would choke on his breath. In all his pain he suddenly felt anger rising. He was sure it was not the right feeling but his eyes almost exploded with anxiety.

'It's no big deal?!' he turned to glare at her. 'What the hell is wrong with you? Do you even hear yourself!?'

She jumped at his thundering voice and stared back at him. Then her expression hardened.

'It's a damn hand job. I wasn't going to cut it off.' He couldn't believe that she had the nerve to narrow her eyes and snarl at him. Like a mad dog he was ready to answer her back but his words were cut by the momentarily transfiguration of her expressions. Her chin trembled and her forehead wrinkled before that pain exploded in a fit of anger of her own.

'You don't have to look so disgusted. I didn't think you needed big breasts and pretty faces to jerk off.'

His anger backfired and he watched mortified how she jumped from her position and crawled right past him.

'Keep the bed.'

His panic grew but for different reasons. Nothing it him wanted to let her slip away. Not like this; not with her feeling unwanted. God, how he wanted her! He wanted to snap her back into him. He also wanted to shake her from her feet and slap sense into her. He wanted her for such different reasons in the same time. Animated by that he threw his arm after hers and launched his body up and forward. But she was fast and set to storm out of the room. He never reached her hand. The pain in his head paralysed him and he stumbled across the floor, gripping her leg.

She froze. He brought his other hand to his head and growled in pain. She looked down, and in his struggle he looked up. With his clogged eyesight he still managed to read the horror on her face; she was worried and for the shortest time he read fear. But they all melted away in disdain, in pity and anger. Still looking down she pulled her leg from his faint grip and opened the door, stepping outside.

He stood there with the cheek on the cold ground. The pain in his head fed his anger. He soon felt his control dying and he forced himself up. The more acute the pain was becoming the more he felt his body tremble in rage. He threw his body in the doorframe for support. He was ready to fall again because of the one boot still in his foot. Blinded by pain he bent after it and took it off. He threw the boot after her but she did not stop. Anger was the only reason why he didn't yell in pain; but in reality he was guided by those powerful emotions; he couldn't tell them apart anymore. And so he pushed from the wall and stomped after her. At times everything would go black and he had no idea where he was stepping; but he knew one thing – he was going to reach her, and wouldn't stop even if he had to hit his body on hers. He eyed her. She was keeping her temper, not fastening her pace. She wanted to look confident but to him, her body was trembling. Not physically but he couldn't control his vision and her aura was unstable. He had no idea he could feel that but now he was. His vision was going on and off and whatever should have been her form, it was shaking like water waves.

Motivated by the storm of emotions he pushed forward and almost sprinted towards her. Suddenly it felt as if she had actually materialized in his hands and he hadn't been ready for it. With barbaric force he gripped her arm and threw her in the wall, crushing his body on hers.

To protect herself she turned her head to one side. He did not care. The fire in him was already burning down everything. So he pushed his head to her side and brutally ran his face along her cheekbone.

'Why don't you do it, then?' He pushed harder into her. But his words were cold and sardonic.

If he would have been in control of his body he would have felt so many things; he would have realized how scary and addling he was acting. 'Why don't you go down between Federico's little brother's legs?' She raised her head and he let some space between them. 'Can't you see how wrong this is? How surreal you just acted? I've been trying so hard to get the right hold on you for Federico and you act so carelessly and naïve, it's frustrating!'

Slowly she turned her face and searched for her eyes. She seemed confused but that confusion started to melt right in front of him into some sort of relaxation he couldn't understand. Sweat was running down his forehead. Her eyes wouldn't stay still. They would tremble in position as is she was reading a book; but in fact she was reading his eyes. Then, her features softened and his anger got slashed by her pensive smile.

'That is all that I really am.' It was a whisper and he was starting to feel insecure again because he couldn't understand what her words meant. Her smile grew. 'What a fool.' He swallowed as he found no meaning to whatever she seemed to have finally discovered.

After a moment of silence she finally sighed, brought her hand up to his forehead and he heard once again the sound of her chuckle.

'You're burning with fever.'

He frowned. He was done with her bossing him around and treating him like that. Maybe he was the fool she was talking about. Instead of fighting he took her hand away.

'Go back to bed.'

She looked as if she wanted to say more but decided against it. It seemed that at that moment she had stopped carrying for whatever he would do because without another word she made her way back to the room, more relaxed than she had been during the entire trip.

She had left him there, to get consumed by confusion or to put an end to his anger. It had all turned to pieces. He couldn't take back anything and there was nothing else he could do to make things better as he had hoped.

* * *

The next morning not many words were exchanged until the ship had reached its destination. Leonardo had probably been the happiest person on the ship to feel the ground under his feet whilst Shiva was acting as usual, as if nothing had happened. She had given him some medicine for his head, had asked him of his health and as quiet as a shadow had left the ship. They reached Padova by carriages and there Shiva seemed to come and go. What was worrying him was that they had lost track of Leonardo as well for a couple of times.

He caught sight of the cape talking with a courier. Then she vanished. He turned to check on Leonardo but he was busy with a merchant. When he went to him to ask if he was in need of any help the artist threw him a glance and then waved him away. He had been confused in the least but decided to roam around the streets before going for the stables. It was a busy day in the piazza, people moving like termites. But there he spotted her, seated on a bench. His first though was to turn around. He felt so embarrassed about his behavior and he was even more annoyed by hers, easily charging everything on his fever. Regardless, he was not a coward and went to take a seat near her. When he approached, a man wanted to occupy the space near her but Ezio grabbed him by the collar.

'Bugger off.'

The man, scared at the imposing hood, waited not a second more to sprint in the crowd.

Ezio let his body fell almost expecting her to throw a smart comment to his juvenile acts. But she remained silent, hands on her elbows.

'What is wrong with Leonardo?'

At that the cape lifted her head to watch the artist.

'Don't tell me he tried to get rid of you too?'

He laughed.

'Something like that.'

And with that they used up every topic they could talk about.

Ezio continued to silently follow the busy man, walking from a merchant to another, barging for prices and asking for merchandise.

'What is this business that you have in France?'

She did not answer. 'Or is something so dirty that it needs to remain a secret.'

After a long moment of pause she lined her back against the wall and stretched her legs in the dusty road.

'It's not a secret, Ezio. Not anymore.' He looked at her. 'Because someone has kept me busy,' He was pretty sure he knew of whom she was talking about. '…now things have gotten out of control and I got myself hired before I had the time to get my hands on that thing and settle a price. You see, as a thief, as long as you possess something desired by more than one party you have the right to choose your buyer. Of course, as long as you have the object you're practically a market target.' She crossed her stretched legs. 'But this is not the case anymore. I can't make a trade with the desired party and I got hired by the other one.'

'I can't really get these ways of yours. You have to do that, you have to do this; who decides that besides some unwritten rules?'

She let out a short ironic laughter. 'I guess you can count how many rules I have broken by the scars on my body. What do you want to hear? Would I send the world to hell to save my skin? Yes, I would. It's not my business what people want to do with whatever is at the end of our contract. That's what makes me the best at what I do. Go and ask Volpe. I gather you have already heard some interesting stories from Antonio and his band of pests.'

He frowned. 'You were once curious of what happened between us. Nothing. I sincerely don't know why they even hold a grudge against me. I helped them in; I was done with what I have signed for. And that thing of you trusting me - you do it on your own risk. Not to mention that sensible shit of me protecting you - I never agreed on that so as far as I care, if you're not my current business, you can rot in a pit.' She crossed her arms also and looked at him. He was sure there was a smug expression behind that hood. 'Though please don't do that. It would be a shame to lose such precious things as your blades and belt. Imagine only the money those would bring me.'

If he would have been in a better mood he might have laughed.

'You are so full of shit.'

She simply stared at him. 'And you are such a fool.'

'You already said that.'

'No I didn't.'

He snickered. 'Yes you did; not half a day ago.'

She watched him in silence only to let out a huffed weak laugh. 'No, I did not.'

They heard Leonardo laugh victoriously in the distance and Ezio forgot about their disagreement.

'But you should not worry about me, you know. Instead you should focus on doing your job since you are so eager on taking revenge. Just a piece of advice; one you have started it, don't stop.' She made a pause and he thought he could feel her smile. 'If you haven't thought it through from the beginning don't hesitate… You know, that is what I liked about you; don't disappoint me. No matter who you are facing, no matter what their reasons are… don't hesitate. You have good instincts. Trust them.'

She tilted her head. 'You'd better save this world, boy. If it helps you to stay on your guard, just think it's filled with people like me who couldn't care less about it.'

The woman searched the crowd. 'I suppose there has to be some sort of balance.' She grinned. 'If there are heroes, there must be thieves to make it harder for them. And if there are thieves, there must be heroes to bring everything back to normal.'

Ezio tried to follow the direction of her gaze. He saw Leonardo approaching. Her words seemed like such a joke but they still acted like a burden on him.

'What should I do with you then? With us?'

When he felt no sound coming from her he turned his head. But he was alone on the bench. His first instinct was to jump up and search for her but he knew it was of no use. Instead, before Leonardo could stop in front of him he smiled bitterly.

_'__What should I do with you__?'_

He accompanied Leonardo out of the crowd.

'What are you going to do now?'

'Get a horse; make my way to Monteriggioni. You?'

'Shiva must have gone to take a carriage for us by now. I am supposed to meet her at the east gates.'

Ezio frowned.

'When did you two spoke?'

'Ummm…when we reached Padova? She told me to find something to do. I actually saw you two talking for a while.'

'I wouldn't call it that.'

'If you ask me I think she actually wanted to tell you goodbye.'

He almost laughed.

'Far from it.'

The artist secured his purchases and smiled.

'I actually think she did. Don't tell me you didn't find it strange that she was seated on a bench in the middle of the piazza in plain eyesight.' Realizing the truth the artist laughed. 'Ezio! You still have to learn so many things.'

Instead of reacting to his friend's humour he thought back at their discussion on the bench.

'Damn, I have made a fool out of myself last night.'

Leonardo continued to smile. 'I wouldn't say so. Whatever you did, Shiva didn't seem to care.' The more this thing about Shiva not caring was said to him the more he disliked it. He should be relieved but part of him felt hurt. He had told her it was wrong, but that wasn't making it less real. Then something came into his mind.

_'__Cazz_o! I forgot to give her the brooch!' instantly he searched for it and extended his arm for the artist to take it.

But the man simply stared down at it.

'I don't know what's so important about this brooch, and it's your business anyway.' With that he looked back at his friend, smiling wisely. 'But do you really think that Shiva wouldn't have taken it back if she really wanted to? It's just a thought, and I don't know what it means for her but…my guess is that she wanted you to have it.'

* * *

That had been everything, Leonardo had left him in the middle of the road, to his own thoughts and it all had been truth. Years had passed and he had not seen her or heard word of her. He was left there, shattered at Leonardo's words. That brooch was glimmering at him, telling him more about her than she had ever said and all he could do was to crush it in his fist.

* * *

_Florence._

_The window banged open against the wall and the curtain flew ghostly in the room. His tired eyes opened and let the wind caress his face. Even now it was still happening; from time to time something would ghost her back into his mind. It was so late that he his mind was the only think that could remember her; not his heart...it was truthfully very late._

_Dressed in sensations of déjà vu her presence would come and go as it pleased, making him go back to that road and that night. He had been too young to understand. He had been the real naïve and she had been the fool. One time she came to him instead, and that one time he scared her, and kicked her away. In his darkest moments he had asked himself if things would have been different if he hadn't let go of her that one time. He wondered if a simple gesture as that would have been enough to avert the tragedy and the chaos that were to come. Would she have been more than a ghostly presence in his life? Would he still stop from time to time to look behind, searching the crowds? His steps would double. He wouldn't know if it was his tired mind, his imagination, his hope or his wishes. At times he wouldn't turn at all at the thought that he would not find anything there. At times he would find peace in that mad assumption of not walking alone. He'd like to pretend old games. He'd like to pretend he had been the betrayed one; he would like to pretend he had been the hero. But not to ease his conscience; she just….wouldn't have had it any other way. He'd like to pretend he wouldn't let her down even after the end of the world._

_The bed gently moved and the body next to him nested away from the cold in his embrace. His arm pulled it closer and his lips smiled on the smooth skin of her forehead. His hand found its way to the red tresses and he filled his lungs with her presence._

_'Sleep well, amore mio (my love).'_


	23. cinder and smoke

So, here we are guys. At the end of the road. When I had posted the other chapter I had at least one more in mind. But then I thought the end will get spoiled. And I didn't want to let this story die slowly. I wanted it to go with some sort of big fire. I wanted it to be, if not shocking, at least filled with emotions. I hope I have accomplished that. This chapter holds no lies and no explanations.

I am putting everything on paper now, not interfering after the end because it's better to leave you with the tasted of the story rather than some other chats. You, the readers, have been more than awesome; because you have kept reading even if those chapters were full of typos which I did not bother to correct. And your reviews had been what kept this story going until the very end. This is the end. But for Shiva and Ezio there are more to come. I hope I will start writing for the sequel soon. Until then, thank you again and I sincerely hope that this chapter will be satisfactory.

A great **thank you** to **XevilxbunnyX** who was wonderful enough to beta read this chapter, along with the first. I owe you so much!

**BUT:** it comes with a bonus (I hope). I came up with a **music mix** for the story, more or less a soundtrack. You can find the archive to download on the profile page since here are not allowed any links. I hope you'll enjoy the music even if not related to the story at all.

Cheers for one last time,

_Lexa._

* * *

**Fine(final part): **** Cinder and Smoke**

* * *

_1500_

Up- down, up-down, up…. This rhythm was echoing through his chest as if it was an empty room. His arms were limp and heavy, pulling down by his sides. His face was crushed into something slippery, creased under his cheek. He heard the calm neigh of the horse coming from under his feet and roll into his entire being. But everything around him was darkness; he was trapped in this hollow and all those feelings and all those noises were vibrating to him from another world. He thought he should fall from the horse; he should slip. But he knew he wouldn't. There was another heartbeat. Someone was holding the reins, controlling the horse and carrying his lifeless body. But where? And from where? What was left behind? The darkness grew like a mist and slowly each sound, each movement started to fade away. He had to wake up, he had to remember but the more he struggled, the faster his senses were being erased. There, in complete darkness he thought he saw a memory_. __He was on a horse; he knew he was followed. He knew his chaser was waiting for him to give up, to fall. His eyes were clouded by the pain in his chest. He should fight; he should run but the pain struck one more time and his arm went numb. His body slipped forward and fell to the ground. The horse stopped and he heard the rider getting down. His vision was blurred and before his mind would shut he saw black boots stepping through the dust, the hem of a cloak wiping the ground; he couldn't look up; he couldn't see the face and by the time the figure had crouched everything was black._

**_/_**

_The woman laughed softly._

_"I have some business far west."_

_"France, far west?"_

_"Yes."_

_"To the Duchy of Valentinios."_

**_/_**

_The wind was blowing through his hair threatening to get the hood down._

_"Who are these guys anyway?"_

_"Borgia's men."_

_"Someone is well informed."_

**_/_**

_"__We?"_

.

.

**"Santa Maria_! _What are you doing, bringing a dead man in my house?"**

_._

_._

_"I heard that things didn't go as planned with the assassination of Barbarigo and his dog."_

_He looked at her._

_"Now that I think about it, I have been warned before."_

_When he smiled, her eyes narrowed in contemplation._

_"It was not a warning. It had been just a question."_

_"Peculiar."_

_"Call it… intuition."_

**_/_**

_"Are you sure about Silvio?"_

_The handle of her mask was twirling in her hands._

_"I just wish for all this to end. Once I get to Borgia, I will put an end to it."_

_At that she looked at him for the first time but he couldn't read her expression. She simply stared in her walk. For a second her eyebrows furrowed but she looked away to face the road._

_"Good luck then." _

.

.

**It felt like he could breathe through the skin of his chest. There was a warm voice humming a child's song. Had he heard that song before? His mother used to sing Petruccio to sleep …**

.

_._

_"Ezio, do you see? It's the same! Doesn't it remind you of those two pieces you and Shiva found in Florence?"_

_"An orb. But this one is still in one piece. Do you still have the other one?"_

_"No…no…. I have looked for it but I can't find it. I thought I had packed it but it may still be in Florence."_

_"You've seen something like this before?"_

_Ezio turned to his uncle._

_"Not exactly. This one is obviously working, whatever that means. But father had something similar…well…half of it."_

_Ezio narrowed his eyes. "The Spaniard… he called it 'The Apple'?"_

_"The apple of Eve?"_

**_/_**

_"Let's go to Cyprus!" _

_He smiled. But it wasn't his smile_

**_/_**

_"Weren't you supposed to have business in France?"_

…_she was tempted to look again at the sea. _

_"I could… back away …" _

…_.._

_At that she allowed herself to watch the sky when another thunder roared above them. _

…_.."Some sort of change."_

.

.

**"He's been talking in his sleep. It's not much but… Could you stay with him, please? I have to get more medicine."**

.

.

_"You don't see it do you?"_

_All that hope was now gone from her voice. _

"_Things will never be as they were before."_

_"I know."_

_._

…

_"I doubt it." She sighed and with that she returned her attention to the sea._

**_/_**

_"What do I want…?"_

_Then she filled her lungs with fresh air and strengthened her back as if the spell was broken. _

_._

_._

**He felt sunrays caressing his face. Where was he? Why was he still in such a dark place?**

**"What are you going to do if he won't make it?"**

**"He'll live."**

**"Hmmmm…what is that expression on your face?"**

**The sound of a chair jarring on the floor amplified in his ears went on in the walls of his empty hollow.**

_._

_._

_The white sheets were blinding his eyes so he looked directly into her eyes._

_"Why didn't you tell me she was here?"_

_"I couldn't. You were barely hanging to your life at that time. Always sweating and mumbling in your sleep. She has appeared out of nowhere not hours after my men had found you in the hills. She left some medicine and told me to give it to you, and she was gone before I had the time to ask her more. As you can imagine she wasn't exactly my main priority."_

_He turned around at the opened door where once her daughter stood._

_"I must go. It was stupid of me to stay here for such a long time when the apple is missing. I need to find that monk myself."_

_This time Sforza didn't move to stop him._

_"From what my men managed to gather, this monk, without a finger… fled Forli some time ago."_

_He started to dress, knowing that she was eyeing him. _

_When he grimaced under the pain, she cleared her voice._

_"I still think you are not ready to go."_

_"I'll manage."_

_"Are you… are you sure you are leaving just because of the apple?"_

_He stopped._

_"What do you mean?"_

_At that he felt her voice harden and she stopped hiding behind the sheets. _

_"Is it because you learned about that woman?"_

_He did not answer immediately. He couldn't._

_"I don't have time for that. As you said, she is long gone. Shiva doesn't stay in one place for long."_

_He secured his blades and chose not to stop even if he heard her stepping out of bed and coming towards him._

_"She's after the apple."_

_He turned to face her beautiful body._

_"What?"  
"My men…. That's how they traced the monk. She had been around Forli, asking for him. At first I gave it no importance but when you started to remember things and mentioned the same black robes I realized it could be no coincidence."_

_"And you decided to keep that for yourself, also."_

_She looked as if she didn't appreciate his tone. _

_"I had someone follow her but…"_

_At that, he couldn't not laugh. "He came back with his tail between his legs."_

_"You were actually hoping to hear me say that. That she is where the apple is."_

_"At least I'd know it's in good hands."_

_With his cape strapped over his chest he moved for the door._

_"Take a horse from my stables. Tell Amerigo to give you the fastest."_

_"Grazie mille."_

_He heard her speak one last time._

_"I don't trust that woman."_

_"That is because you don't know her." _

_._

_._

**"Are you sure this is not a mistake?""**

**"I know this is a mistake. Here. Take the money. Leave Roma after he recovers. This place won't be safe for you anymore."**

**"Will it be safe for you?"**

**…**

**"There is no such thing as a safe place, Marta."**

**Something cold touched his forehead and his tension echoed away, as his conscious was drifting away towards that dark place.**

.

.

_It was over. Firenze was free of Savonarola's rule. Ezio stood by the tombstones that were empty. But regardless, his father and brothers deserved a resting place, deserved to be remembered. He watched the pure fresh calla lilies on top of the tombs. Someone had been there recently. _

_An old man was delving the ground of his garden, the only house close to the place._

_He approached the man and asked for attention._

_"Mi scuzi, have you by any chance seen anyone coming here today? By the tombstones?"_

_The man stopped and straightened his back. He brought one hand to his forehead and wiped away his sweat, hiding from the sun in the same time. At first he eyed Ezio then he turned to the three stones, deepened in thoughts. His face brightened in remembrance._

_"__Ah__, __si messere__! __There was a__lady this morning. She brought the flowers."_

_"A lady? What lady?"_

_He frowned for a second._

_"Tall...she was wearing a green dress." He smiled. "My wife…she's always here in the morning, waking up and working outside; she said she had never seen anyone visiting the tombs before. I told my old wife it's not polite to stare but you know… a woman and her curiosity. 'That signora over there must be a noble', she said. And I must agree, not only had she looked educated but to bring such flowers to the dead."_

_"Yes but…can you describe her? How did she look?"_

_"Told you, messere__**. **__She was wearing a green dress and she had long light brown hair…very light."_

_That is all he needed to know. There was only one person with that kind of hair that would know his family._

_The old man started to talk again but Ezio couldn't hear him anymore. He pushed some coins into his hand and stared at the flowers._

_He hadn't seen Shiva in years but she was in Firenze. Or at least she had been until this morning. How would she look? How did she look in that green dress?_

_He approached the tombs and stared through the perfect white of the flowers. So many things have changed since he had carried their lifeless bodies to that boat. He had changed in so many ways. He thought of his brother. It was beyond his powers to make things right with him now. He knew only one way in which he could keep Shiva close. And he couldn't do it as his brother. He had no idea what he'll do after; he had no idea what she meant for him or what he wanted her to be for him. But he could figure it out on the way, no? He's not supposed to know everything, and much so when it comes to feelings. But it was time to let go of the past and do something to save himself, to save his future. That is why he had come to the tombs that day. To find closure. He had one more thing to do, and everything will end with Rodrigo. He'll end this chapter of his life and start anew._

**/**

_"Ezio! Down here!"_

_The man spun with the speed of light from the yelling guards to the voice. He couldn't believe his eyes at the sight he found at the base of the tower. There, on the Vatican's walls was none other than a face he had not encountered in years. Shiva was grinning his way holding a white horse by the reins. _

_He was awakened to reality by an arrow. Ezio needed not a second more to jump down._

_"How on earth did you get here?"_

_"After all this time and you still question my skills, Auditore."_

_"You sneaked here…with a horse?"_

_Her grin faded in a mysterious smile._

_"I have my ways." She looked into his eyes. "Here, take this and catch the pope while he's still in __Capella__Sistina__."_

_He paused. _

_"Why…are you here?"_

_"Ezio, there is no time. I am here, helping you. Does it really matter why?"_

_He took the reins from her._

_"Always finish what you start, remember?"_

_He jumped on the horse._

_"Go, I'll take care of the guards."_

_"Are you sure."_

_One corner of her lips curved upwards in a daring grin._

_"They won't have the chance to say a word from what they have seen."_

_He frowned at her choice of words but before he had the time to say something she hit the horse, sending him into a furious gallop. _

_"Go!"_

_**/**  
_

_He stepped out of the vault. The things he had seen… When he tried to pull out the staff, the ground, as if activated by a lever, descended and pulled the staff inside._

_"Maledizione!" (damn!) _

_Before it all had the chance to stop he heard steps from the upper level._

_"Better in the hands of Earth than in the hands of man."_

_Looking up he was met by the grinning face of his uncle. _

_"Uncle?" _

_"What can I say? We sent a single man against an entire army. I was worried. Quick! Get up and let's get out of here."_

_He nodded and started to climb the walls. Once up, Mario offered his hand out. _

_"You would not believe the things I have seen, Mario."_

_"Then be sure to stay alive, that I might hear of them. Now, let's hurry!"_

_With no more words they sprinted outside the vault and through the petrified clergy. They had no other option than to bring up the sword and make their way out of the Vatican in blood. Once they found themselves in the streets of Rome, Mario pointed to a tower. He stepped up the wall and followed him up. There they stopped to fill their lungs with air. Ezio pulled the apple out and stared at it as if he was staring into the deepest hollow. He considered for an instance the foolish idea of dropping it into the Tiber. So many misfortunes this small thing has brought to him. _

_He felt a hand over his shoulder._

_"This decision is yours to make, only do so quickly."_

_He did not look at him. Instead he followed the rays of the apple, fading with distance. He tensed. His eyes went beyond that, on the rooftops of the other side of the river. _

_His uncle felt it._

_"Oh."_

_There she was, staring right at them, the dark cape in the full light of the day._

_He felt the man beside him sigh. _

_"But before you go, give me the apple. You can do as you wish later. I'll wait for you north of the city._

_Ezio grinned and handed him the orb._

_"No. Go ahead. I'll catch up with you in Perugia."_

_"Heh!" His uncle laughed in both amusement and acceptance._

_With just that Ezio jumped from the tower and went for the fastest way to the other side of the river, without losing her out of sight. He wouldn't have even if his life depended on it._

_He crossed the bridge and almost cursed when he had to climb the wall and lose visual contact. It was a fear that the second he would look away she could vanish. He pushed over the roof. And swallowed. He couldn't believe it. It was the most stupid thing but he couldn't believe that she was still there. Waiting for him. Looking straight at him. And smiling for him. _

_"You ...have some answers to give!"_

_He smirked as he approached her._

_"Oh?" her simple smile turned up in nothing but a pure sly expression._

_For a moment she looked down and when her eyes searched for him again that smile was less visible._

_"You didn't do it."_

_He frowned._

_"You didn't finish Borgia."_

_Ezio's good humor vanished for a second._

_"It was not worth-"_

_"Not my business."_

_His confusion grew as she stopped him with a trace of anxiety in her voice. But in a second she did the same gesture. She switched to the roof tiles and back at him, a total different expression on her face yet again._

_"But…" There was a twinkle in her eyes. "Tell me, Assassin…what did you find down there?"_

_But no answer came. How could he speak? All those ideas and feelings came crushing to his mouth and he was paralyzed by them. The first instinct was to let out the amazement of his findings, in the same time he wanted to act casually; what if she wouldn't be impressed? What if she wouldn't understand? Another part of him was intrigued by her curiosity. Why did she want to know? Whilst, something in him thought he knew the answer: she was Shiva, curiosity was her life source. He was also fighting back the instinct of asking her what was she doing here, in Roma… why did she look so unstable… one moment she was smiling but her eyes were scanning the entire area__ and her weight was constantly shifted from one leg to another as if she was in a hurry. _

"_Ezio, what was in the vault?"_

_He pressed his lips and gripped her shoulders. She was making him nervous. And only then he froze. He never noticed…not one bit, and even now his eyes wouldn't see it; but his hands felt it: she was trembling. _

"_Shiva, what's wrong with you?"_

_At that she sighed, but he wondered if he had been right because she did nothing to brush aside his hands. Instead she frowned like a child and pouted._

"_You're mean."_

_He frowned again._

"_You've been down there. Lord knows what you've seen in that vault and you're keeping it for yourself." She looked past him at the Vatican's walls. The woman looked as if she had missed the most interesting thing in her life. "Was there a treasure?"_

_At that his eyes went wide and everything started to make sense to him. He laughed so hard that he scared her attention back to him._

"_No, Shiva! There was nothing in there that you could humanely have the possibility to steal and carry with you to sell it to god knows what black market!" _

_She looked at him from under her eyelashes like a scolded child._

_Then she proceeded to look around the area before staring at his chest._

"…_ok". _

_He didn't think he ever heard her sound so disappointed. But her head suddenly turned up._

"_But there must have b-."_

"_Shiva, no! No more of this, woman! I will tell you what is down there….but do you really want to talk about it here?" He smiled and searched for her eyes. "In fact…I think… you are the only person to whom I feel comfortable to talk about it." He could not stop from joking. "If you'll tell me I am a weird man who has lost his mind at least I can live knowing that you have called me worse."_

_But before he could joke he felt her body relax, leaving him wondering if it had been something he said. Not only had she finally relaxed but she had also stopped from scanning their surroundings. He looked down at her._

"_I have a proposition for you?"_

_She stared into his eyes._

"_Only if I find it interesting."_

"_It's a challenge."_

_A grin appeared on her face._

"_Keep talking."_

"…_a race… to the Roman Forum."_

_Her grin only got bigger._

"_A race? Do you really want to feel the dirt in your mouth again, Assassin?"_

_Usually he would have felt insulted but he only stepped closer to her, returning the grin._

"_We should try and see. Besides…I had this particular agile thief from whom I could steal some tips."_

"_Oh, do I know of him?"_

_His grin intensified and he took another step, looking down into her fiery eyes._

"_I don't think so. I like to keep him my little secret."_

_He watched her lips line into a smart smile. For a moment he thought he should just stare at them, letting her read whatever message she wanted in his antics._

_She closed her eyes and almost shook her head in amusement._

"_What's the catch?"_

_Yes, he was getting to that._

"_You are no fun, you know that? Have you ever heard of taking pleasure in growing tension?"_

_She grinned, perfectly knowing his jokes._

"_Speak in a language I know. I get lost in your bed innuendos."_

_He liked it and he felt so strange in the same time. She never enjoyed his sexual humor, even less responding to it. But he definitely liked it. Why hasn't it always been like this? Why was she acting so easily now?_

"_I am not sure that displeases me."_

_He saw her barely stopping the laughter from coming out._

"_Of course you aren't. The deal?"_

_She arched one of her elegant eyebrows._

"_There is no.. .deal… there is a price."_

_He knew that his sudden smirk discouraged her, even if for a second._

"_Name it."_

"_If I win – "_

"_Ah, of course; what was I expecting? Let's hear it. What humiliating idea do you have in mind?"_

_He rolled his eyes at her presumption._

"_You'll kiss me."_

_Silence.  
"I'm sorry?"_

"_Shiva, when you have ears to hear the darkest secrets of people you can't really expect to have me wasting precious time repeating that."_

"_And when I win? Then, what?"_

"_Ah, self-confident and arrogant as ever." But he laughed. "How about if you win I'll get to kiss you."_

_She laughed. So powerfully, so sincerely, so lovely. She laughed._

"_Jerk."_

_He waited for her to stop. Why would he kill such a melodic sound?_

_When it all ended in a smile she looked at him pensively. Her eyes were so warm. He was sure she had never watched him with such eyes. She didn't look away for a second and she did not blink._

_Instead, she took a step closer and killed the distance between them. With the most care she brought her arms up and lowered his hood, her hands tracing back the line of his cheekbones. But her eyes were still on his and they looked more than ever like two endless pools of gold. His spine felt chills of anticipation when she moved her face closer. With one gloved finger she traced the line of his lower lip before pushing herself up to lock her own over his. _

_But he stopped. He stopped her with his hands, forcefully gripping her shoulders and pushing her back._

_He furrowed his eyebrows and looked at her with serious eyes. And he meant every word._

"_No."_

_She looked shocked for the split of a second. He expected the anger to come but it did not happen._

"_I want to earn it. Me. For what I am. For what I do. I want to win it. I want you to have no way out of it."_

_His grip on her tightened in panic when he thought he read fear. For less than a moment he thought he watched a soul breaking to pieces but he was confident. He knew he had to break every wall on Shiva if he wanted to reach her. But his confidence vanished into nothing when the shyest smile appeared on her face. At first it was curious, then bittersweet and finally, it wrapped him in peace and closure. He thought that smile would haunt him for the rest of his life._

_Her hand went up and pushed away some of his brown hair, caressing his temple._

_Her smile grew and it was only a whisper._

"_Fool."_

_With a forming grin she stepped back, leaving the cold air to hit him like a punch. _

_She brought her hood up and saluted him with two fingers, jumping down the roofs and in the street, disappearing towards the forum._

…

_She never made it. She hadn't even tried. Not before him, not after him; not even after dark. _

.

.

**Gentle fingers tickled his cheek. If only he could open his eyes… but that warm breath was slowly pushing him back in the labyrinth he was trying to escape.**

**"He's recovering well. What are you going to do?"**

**"Attend other business."**

**"I mean… Don't you want to be here when he wakes up?"**

**"I am leaving tomorrow. I can't wait."**

**"You won't…. I understand… What should I tell him?"**

**"Give him these… also…he'll want to know how he ended up here..."**

.

.

_The air couldn't get inside his lungs as he pushed his muscles over the limits and raced against the wind. And even faster the air was leaving his chest, his brain. He had to run; he had to, even if there was no force to push him forward._

"_So I consider an invitation is in order…"_

_He felt the roof slip from under his feet but he sprinted. He wouldn't fall; he wouldn't fail._

"…_from my family…"_

_Mario, look at Mario. What was he saying, what was he showing? His heart was about to explode as his vision turned black from the lack of air. Just a second more; just…_

"…_to yours." _

_There was a knot in his throat and a hollow in his stomach. _

_._

…

_The rocks were rolling; pieces of wood were flying in the air._

_His heart exploded… or was it his ears…._

_It played all over again. The shot, the silence, the darkness._

_He fell into the void._

_What wasn't he feeling? What wasn't he hearing? What wasn't he seeing? _

_Mario__. In the darkness he played his image over and over again. His fall; his crawling, his torn clothes, the blood on his face, the blood on his hand. His hand… the sign. He had hit the ground; his eyesight was blurred and upside down. __The hand__….. he watched past the body of his uncle, through feet and dirty dressed. The mud, heavy armored, soldiers… back, in the back… on the wall of the entrance. There was someone leaning…. _

_Caterina's desperate voice. _

_What, what was his uncle showing, pointing… the fingers… __betrayal.__ Betrayal written with his uncle's blood… he was using the sign for betrayal. _

_He had to look further. Further in the dark, the figure outside the gate. Tall… boots in the dust, dark gloves… the apple's sachet. Who had it? Whose hand was that?_

_His world was turning dark. _

_The figure pushed itself from the wall. Don't go! Don't turn. Don't disappear behind the carriage! _

_Cesare approached and brushed past it. The apple. The apple was in that gloved hand. Don't take it; it was back into the sachet. _

_Betrayal._

_The figure spun. The apple was attached to the belt. _

_You don't see it, do you?_

_Don't… _

_..turn…_

…

_"France, far west?"_

_"Yes…To the Duchy of Valentinios." _

…

"_The Duke of Valentinios. He's Borgia's bastard."_

_It was getting so cold. His eyes were too heavy….was he dying? Was this the end?_

"_Some sort of change…."_

_His head was filled with whispers. He couldn't make them stop. Each word was scratched into his head, smarting and agonizing. _

"_An orb? Eve's apple?"_

_"She's after the apple."_

…_._

_._

_._

_._

_._

_"I don't trust that woman."_

_"That is because you don't know her." _

_The dark cape turned, revealing in the twirl the apple attached to the belt, one last time before falling and covering it. _

_You don't see it, do you?_

_._

_._

_His world died and there was only darkness._

_._

_._

…_. Fool…_

_._

_._

_._

The air hit him as if the ocean had spit him out. With a desperate gesture his chest pushed forward and the light blinded his eyes.

He kept gasping for air in desperation. He couldn't focus. He couldn't use his voice as he was overwhelmed by a mountain of feelings and emotions.

A warm hand touched his chest and someone was talking to him but he couldn't understand.

"Where is she?" He heard his own voice let out the grotesque sound. "Where!"

"Shhhhh! Please _messere_, calm. Shhhh…"

Slowly the light was fading out and he caught the blurred image of those fingers, gently pushing him down. The pain in his chest was making him powerless.

"Please, calm down."

It was a brown haired woman, seated on the bed, next to him. But he couldn't bring his mind to focus on his surroundings.

"Where is she!"

"Where is who?"

"That woman! Where?"

The hand applied more force.

"_Messere_, you are still running a fever. There is no one else here."

Only then, under the weight of exhaustion, but still with his hand clenched on her arm he let his body fall back. He had such a strong grip on her arm that the skin had turned red. Still, the woman said nothing.

She stretched after a bowl near the bed and moistened a small towel, returning it over his chest. He followed her fluid and calm moves and only then, as the piece of clothwas turning in a fade shade of pink he realized the source of his pain; all the reasons of why he couldn't breathe. It was as if she had read his mind because a warm smile adorned her face.

"The pain will end soon."

"Where….where have you brought me?"

"Nowhere, _Messere_. " She gently touched his bandaged wound with her small fingers. There was a twitch in her palm and after a frown the smile returned as she looked at him. "A …man… … a man left you here."

But he brushed her hand away and forced his feet out of bed. The pain gripped him but he wouldn't stop.

He watched his left hand shake in anxiety and he turned it into a painful fist. He tried to stay focus while the woman got up, trying to provide support.

"Did he say anything else?"

"Only this. You are to meet _Messer_ Machiavelli in front of the Mausoleum di Augusto." She took a step back and watched him. "_Messere_, you are in no condition to walk now." When she saw him wince in pain, trying to get up, she fastened her arms to him but he shoved them away, stubbornly stepping away from the bed.

He looked at the ground, hearing her sitting back. He frowned at himself and his thoughts. Would he really have hit her, this kind woman, because there was something in him a moment ago that he couldn't control?

"I am sorry." He did not look at her. But he was more shocked when he heard the same warm voice talking to him.

"You are running on anger."

He spun at her, immediately regretting it as his muscles froze in pain. But that had been not enough to kill the fire in his voice.

"Good! Anger is good!"

Her worried eyes stared at him a moment longer before a sad understanding reached her lips. And she smiled again. She stood.

"Here. He left this."

She went to the table and lifted a set of clothes. But it wasn't just that. They were the clothes of an Assassin. With every move his chest was protesting, but this pain…this pain was only firing his anger. He felt like laughing but his mouth trembled. His eyebrows twisted and he swallowed back the knot in his throat. He stopped all that before he could let out any sound. His fist started to shake again.

He was brought back from his own thoughts by the sight of his blade. The same hands that have taken care of him were offering him his Assassin's blade. And that mouth was smiling, even more hopefully at him.

He took it, and instinctively started to strap it to his arm, as if it was his own skin; as if it was his own nature.

He looked at the engraved sign one last time before bringing his hands to the hood, becoming once again the only thing that he knew how to be; the only thing that he knew how to do right: an Assassin.

He looked one last time at the woman.

"Grazie." It was a simple word but it was the only thing he could say and mean from his heart. That word meant so many things. And the woman knew.

He took a step, and another towards the door. He knew it. He felt it. That in this poor room he will leave behind so many things. So many memories, so many feelings and so many hopes.

He pushed the handle and took a long breath before taking the final step.

And it was done.

Closing that door after him felt more painful than anything that his wounds could make him go through. Ahead of him was Roma; with its sunny weather and hills in ruins. His hand started to shake again but he did nothing to stop it. He let the tremble go up his entire arm. He told himself it was the wound in the shoulder. But no wound would make him lose control over his own body. No wound but that of his own mistakes, of his own stubbornness and denial. And how much had it cost him?

He will never forget it. That image… That cape turning on the wall, tuning away from him, and taking with it everything; not just the apple; not just his uncle; not just his peace; everything; everything that could have made him a good person; every reason – she took it away.

And she should use it properly until her time will come. Because in this great scheme, it will come. Because as she knew how to change faith in rancor so he will change it back into retaliation.

And like the simple pawn she has become, she will fall…

He stepped towards the city, never looking back;

...

.

.

There was no glory in the end, and no closure. There was no hero at the end of the road… not for her. He was no hero…and there was nothing left to steal.

...

..

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_fool_


	24. Author Note

Do not worry, this story is finished. But hurry up and search for the second part which I have started to post. I decided to upload an author note to let all the great people that have favourite and followed this story know that I am already working on the second installment.

It's called _'All the roads lead to Rome'_ and this part takes us during the events of Assassin's Creed Brotherhood. Ezio is dealing with the Borgia and Shiva… after all she has done she is slowly starting to resurface again. From the ending of _'Heroes and Thieves'_ we all learned that Shiva 'changed sides' to Cesare and now it's time to see how things happened. I am rather afraid that some of you will lose interest in the story because not all the future chapters will focus on Ezio and the main story. I have actually built this second part on 'side-stories' that won't necessarily follow the main events of Brotherhood. I am trying to focus this on Shiva and she is not any kind of super-character that is everywhere in the protagonist's life. She is, to quote something that Ezio said, 'a simple pawn' in the story to unfold. Sure, many of the chapters will reveal encounters between the two and decisive moments in their lives. but not many would take part around the scenes of the actual game. I am hoping to make this a worthy read since I am thrilled to bring to life the renaissance era, with shades, atmosphere, behaviors, and people. It is truly a fascinating period and now I have the perfect excuse to make use of my childhood morbid fascination with the Borgia family.

But back on track. I hope this story won't disappoint you because I am very much in love with it. Soon I will also try to bring up a new character design for Siva with the renewed attire. Any questions you have, please feel free to ask.

2. The other important reason behind this note: I do not know why it didn't cross my mind before. Anyone of you guys who has Assassin's Creed Revelation for PC message me with your multiplayer ID so I can add you in my friends list. It is way more enjoyable to play with someone you can relate in any other way except the game. Or you can add me yourselves in your list but please mention who you are in the invitation. I don't usually accept random invitation. Unfortunately my ID is a shame that Ubisoft burdened me with. The program thought it could change my name because of some sort of 'already taken' case and I was lightheaded enough not to notice. The ID is FleursDeMal (Baudelaire should be ashamed of me). Regardless, hope to see you there.

I think that sums it all up. All being said,

Cheers and enjoy the story!

Yours truly,

Lexa


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